Ultimate Philly Steak & Cheese Hoagies

Yesterday I shared with you my excitement over my professional-grade meat slicer Kitchen Essential or Luxury? Today I’d like to share a little bit of what I do with the meat I slice.

So how do I use all the melt-in-your-mouth shaved beef that I stock in the freezer after it’s slice? There are a lot of possibilities, but the main meal I use it for and the one the family likes best is Philly Steak and Cheese Hoagies. These just melt-in-your-mouth. It is wonderful how this meat, that would otherwise be somewhat tough and chewy if prepared with hand sliced round steak, just falls apart and melts in your mouth. Have I said melt-in-your-mouth yet – well I just can’t say it enough.

Thus far I have sliced/shaved more than 25 pounds of bottom round roast and we’ve eaten it this way and nobody has gotten tired of it. Still I don’t like to keep making the same things over and over again even if it is something we truly love. I’m afraid eventually we will get sick of it and then just the thought of it will make my stomach turn. This has happened with several meals I’ve made before so in the interest of saving a favorite meal for those special occasions I have been on the lookout for other things that I can use my shaved meat for. My next few posts will highlight some of the ones that were keepers.

For now, you definitely can’t go wrong with this recipe. Whether you make it with mushrooms, onions, and green pepper, or without or a combination thereof, this sandwich is truly a meal in itself. I like to serve it with a side of sour cream and dill sauce or Italian dressing and occasionally even serve a side of au jus. Come to think of it, this would probably be considered French Dip without all the veggies. So many possibilities, so little meals to eat in a day. No worries, there’s always tomorrow, and for this I am — Simply Grateful.

• Servings: Serves 4 -8 people
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Ingredients

• 1  – 2 Pounds Shaved Beef (or if you don’t have access to a meat slicer and your local grocer does not sell it, Steak-Ums work too)
• 4 – 8 Hoagie or Sub Buns
• 2 Medium Onions, sliced thin
• 2 Green Peppers, sliced thin
• 8 oz. Sliced Mushrooms
• 2 – 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Pound Provolone Cheese, sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Heat oil in large fry pan. Quickly fry the shaved beef in two or three batches. Remove from pan, cover, and set aside.
3. Heat butter in same pan. Add peppers and onions. Cook 5 -6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add mushrooms to onions and peppers. Cover and steam for 2 -3 minutes, until mushrooms release their juices. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Prepare sauces and/or au jus if using.
6. Assemble sandwiches. Open buns and place bottoms on parchment lined cookie sheet.
7. Top bottoms with slices of provolone cheese, equal portions of beef and vegetables, sprinkle with garlic salt, and top with additional provolone cheese.
8. Place sandwiches in oven for 3 – 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.
9. Remove from oven, place tops buns on sandwiches, and serve.

Cooking Note

I like to serve this with a simple dill sauce. Combine 1/2 cup sour cream with 1 – 2 tsp. dill weed. Stir to combine. 

Other options include topping with Italian dressing or dipping in au jus gravy.

Anyway you serve it though, it’s awesome!

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Oriental Veggie Stir-Fry over Rice Noodles

For a long time I have been trying to perfect stir-frying vegetables so that they don’t end up soggy and over-cooked. While Grace and I were at a Japanese restaurant this past winter I had her time how long the chef cooked each vegetable as he prepared our lunch on the grill in front of us. Shortly after our lunch I gave stir frying one more chance and this time I got it right! The vegetables were crisp-tender and adding them to a side dish of oriental noodles and an Asian sauce has made this one of the families favorites.

The first step is to combine the ingredients for the sauce. In a large bowl, mix soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Set aside.

Heat oil in large fry pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring last-minute constantly.

Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes without stirring. Then stir constantly for next minute.

Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add zucchini and cook for 2 minutes, stirring only last minute.

Pour in sauce and stir to combine.

Add bean sprouts and stir constantly for 1 – 2 minutes, until the sauce is thick. If the vegetables produced too much water while frying, you might need to add another tablespoon of corn starch mixed with 1 – 2 tablespoons water.

Remove from heat and serve immediately over noodles and garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Cooking Note

Frying the vegetables over a medium-high heat for a short period of time is crucial to this dish. If you cook the vegetables longer than the above suggested times, they may turn out mushy and lose much of their flavor. The zucchini and bean sprouts especially are best served when they are still tender-crisp.

This dish is not only perfect as a side, but Grace and I love it for lunch as well. Something this good can stand on its own, and for this I am — Simply Grateful.

Oriental Stir Fry Vegetables over Rice Noodles

• Servings: Approximately 4
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Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
• 3 Tbsp Sherry
• 2 Tbsp. Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• 1 Tbsp. Minced Ginger
• 3 Tbsp. Peanut Oil
• 1 Large Sweet Onion, cut into large chunks
• 2 Medium Zucchini, peeled and cut into 1″ wedges
• 1 – 8 oz. Package Baby Bella Mushrooms, cut into quarters
• 2 – 3 Cups Fresh Bean Sprouts
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 3 Scallions, chopped
• Rice Noodles, cooked according to package directions
• Sesame Seeds, for serving

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in large fry pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring last minute constantly.
3. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes without stirring. Then stir constantly for next minute.
4. Stir in garlic and scallions and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Add zucchini and cook for 2 minutes, stirring only last minute.
6. Pour in sauce and stir to combine.
7. Add bean sprouts and stir constantly for 1 – 2 minutes, until the sauce is thick. If the vegetables produced too much water while frying, you might need to add another tablespoon of corn starch mixed with 1 – 2 tablespoons water.
8. Remove from heat and serve immediately over noodles and garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Cooking Note

Frying the vegetables over a medium-high heat for a short period of time is crucial to this dish. If you cook the vegetables longer than the above suggested times, they may turn out mushy and lose much of their flavor. The zucchini and bean sprouts especially are best served when they are still tender-crisp.