Lunch: Michael's Famous Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

Recipe by © Michael Lomonaco, 2002 The secrets of a great cheese steak are the quality of the ingredients and the thinness of the raw beef. The beef is best cut into paper-thin slices on an electric slicer. If an electric slicer is out of the question (m

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds top round steak
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion
4-6 bell peppers, any color
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
N/A Salt
N/A pepper
1/4 pound sharp provolone cheese, thinly sliced
4 to 6 soft hero rolls or hoagie rolls

Instructions

Tightly roll the eye round steak into a torpedo or log shape. Wrap tightly in plastic. Place log in freezer for 45 minutes to firm the beef into a tight but not frozen texture.
Remove plastic, and working quickly, use an electric knife to slice the beef into paper-thin strips, almost shaving the beef. If this does not work well, use a sharp knife and cut the beef into the thinnest slices possible, then flatten the slices using a meat tenderizer. Refrigerate slices until ready to cook.
Peel and halve onion. Slice into paper-thin half moon pieces. Halve the peppers, remove and discard seeds, and then slice into thick wedges.
Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add onions and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until caramelized and softened, stirring frequently. Do not allow them to brown. Transfer onions to bowl; add pepper to same skillet, still over low heat. Cook peppers 10 to 15 minutes, until soft and tender, flipping often. Transfer to bowl with onions. Season onion-pepper mixture to taste. Cover bowl to keep warm.
In a clean skillet, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Cook the beef in 2 batches, until lightly browned and cooked through, stirring often. Add olive oil if necessary.
To serve: Pile beef strips, peppers and onions and cheese slices inside a hero roll.