Philly Cheesesteaks

When TJ and I lived in DC, we made it a special note to travel to Philadelphia and have a little Philly Cheesesteak competition of our own.  We tried Pat's; we tried Geno's...and in the end they both let us wanting a little bit more.  Each were delicious in their own right, but to call them the best cheesesteaks ever just didn't seem right.  Then we moved to Okinawa and there was a fast food joint called Charley's.  They served hot sandwiches and among their best sandwich was their Philly cheesesteak.  Still not the best...but good.  Well now we find ourselves in San Diego and the grocery store down the street sells these amazing little French Rolls.  Kind of like bakery french bread but in hoagie size.  Perfect for me to perfect the Philly cheesesteak.  I'm not a fan of the traditional cheese wiz spread for the cheese, so if you're feeling daring then give it a try...otherwise be like me and stick to provolone.

1 onion sliced in half and then sliced into strips
1 red pepper de-seeded and sliced
1 green pepper de-seeded and sliced
8 oz baby bella mushrooms sliced thin
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp A-1 steak sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
16 oz sliced deli meat roast beast (the more quality the better these sandwiches will taste...I like Costco's sliced roast beef the best)
salt and pepper to taste
8 french hoagies
8 slice provolone cheese

In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium high heat. Once pan is hot, add onion, peppers, and mushrooms. Don't over stir as you want these to char.  Once the veggies are cooked through and have a nice brown.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the steak sauce and Worcestershire sauce and mix.  Add the roast beef and cook until meat is reheated.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Here is where I think I have perfected the sandwich.  I used to pile the toppings on the hoagie, put the cheese on top and then broil to golden brown perfection.  The problem was that the bread always tended to get a little soggy and the cheese wasn't in every bite.  So now I open up the hoagies and put a piece of cheese covering both sides.  Then I pace under the broiler until nice and golden brown.  Then I put all the toppings on the top of the cheese and fold into a sandwich.  The bread is still nice and chewy and there is cheese in every bite...this is what I call cheesesteak perfection!! Add a little hot sauce if you want to spice things up!!