Philly Cheesesteak

I have something exciting to share today. It is about my hummingbirds. One of the hummingbirds, who visits our bird feeder everyday, has been building a nest near our kitchen window since last week. Bryan and I named her, Chipette. We are lucky enough to see her bringing sticks and spider webs to the nest. She even sat on it for a few times. Too adorable!

Our patio has a rail. At most time, there are spider webs all over the corners and edges. For at least two times, I saw Chipette stopped by the patio and flew around the rail. She went to the corners and looked for spider webs. Eventually, I saw her flying to her nest with some in her beak. As I found out, spider web is crucial to nest-building. Not only it acts as glue, its flexibility to stretch will allow the babies to sit comfortably inside as they grow. Cute! Thanks for cleaning my rail too! 😉

This is so exciting! Hopefully, Chipette will really lay eggs and we can see some hummingbird babies soon! If you have followed me on Instagram, it is likely that you have seen the nest pictures already. If not, here is one of the pictures that I took over the weekend.

 

Now, back to the food. Cheesesteak is the one famous thing in Philadelphia. A few years back, I happened to be on a Chinese tour and stopped by the Liberty Bell. I didn’t pay attention much to the history or the bell. The only thing I had in mind was Philly cheesesteak. Unfortunately, when we were there, it was 9 in the morning. None of the shops were opened. By the time it got close to lunch time, we were rushed back to the bus and headed to another destination. It was such a disappointment. I was sad for a long time. Good news is that there is a sandwich place in Los Angeles, Big Mike’s Philly Steaks. Their cheesesteaks are very good. Many people said that they are pretty authentic too.

But if you living somewhere else, you can’t easily get a cheesesteak. No problem! You can make yours at home. It is pretty straight forward. Everyone can do it. Sauté and cook everything separately. Then put them together in a slightly toasted bun. All ready to go! Think about that juicy beef with sweet caramelized onions and sweet peppers. Not to forget that gooey cheese melted all over… Heavenly!

Philly Cheesesteak

2 servings

Ingredients:

–  ¾ pound rib eye or sirloin

–  2 teaspoons olive oil

–  2 soft hoagie rolls (split ¾ open)

–  6 slices provolone cheese or white American cheese

–  1 tablespoon water

Caramelized Onions:

–  1 tablespoon unsalted butter

–  1 teaspoon vegetable oil

–  1 large Spanish onions (cut into ¼-inch slices)

Sautéed Peppers:

–  1 tablespoon olive oil

–  1 large green or red bell pepper (cut into ¼-inch slices)

Directions:

1. Place the steak in the freezer and let it sit for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, start with the onions. In a medium pan over medium heat, add butter and vegetable oil. Add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until caramelized, about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
4. In a small pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the pepper and cook until soften. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
5. When the steak has been frozen for 1 hour, use a sharp knife to cut the steak into very-thin slices against the grain.
6. Place the hoagie rolls on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
7. At the same time, in a medium pan over high heat, add the olive oil. Add the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Place the cheese slices on top. Add 1 tablespoon water in the pan. Cover with a lid and cook until the cheese has melted. Divide and carefully transfer the meat mixture to the rolls. Top with caramelized onions and peppers. Serve immediately.

Tips:

1. I used leftover prime rib meat for the sandwiches. If you can get pre-sliced meat, it is even easier. Just cut them into smaller pieces. Pre-sliced meat can be found in Asian supermarkets.
2. If your rolls are too bready, you can remove some of the bread in the middle.

(Adapted from Bobby Flay via Food Network)