That leftover roast haunting the fridge isn’t an eyesore any longer. Sure it may be tough and dry, but there is a way to wake that little fellow up without smothering him in gravy. Turn him into a juicy cheesesteak.
The heart of a healthy cheesesteak isn’t the greasy artery-clogging glob of meat from the freezer section at the supermarket. No! Put that overpriced crap back on the shelf. A cheesesteak can be healthy, especially when you use lean cuts of meat from a nicely cooked roast. I prefer a rare roast so it reheats well, but that’s not always necessary as long as you don’t go well-done pot-roast style. Then you’re gonna need gravy.
First trim that fat and make thin slices of meat with a sharp knife. Keep it cold when working the knife because the firm meat won't give when you get your death grip on it. Using the knuckle of your holding hand as a guide, slice against the grain so the pieces fold away as you cut. It takes a little practice but you will be producing thin deli cuts before you know it.
You can use this same slicing technique for your vegetables as well. You’ll want thin veggies when cooking the cheesesteak so you don’t end up with half done veggies and overcooked meat. The veggie juices keep the meat moist and tender as they cook and everything will finish as one.
This recipe yields 2 huge sandwiches:
½ pound roast
1 whole onion
2 sweet bell peppers
15 fresh mushrooms
Italian shredded cheese
1 Tbsp Olive oil
- Slice meat, vegetables and mushrooms thin. Heat oil in a large skillet to medium. Toss the veggies in the hot oil till they become limp, add your meat.
- Once the meat gets hot its gonna want to come apart. Grab a wooden spoon, and pressing down on meat with your spatula tear it apart. It should come apart easily soaking up the veggie juices as it does. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce as you do this to help boost that meaty flavor.
- Toss everything together until the veggies and meat are cooked to your liking then stuff that into a nice soft roll. I prefer the bolillo rolls found at my local market because they won’t fall apart from the juicy crammed mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and serve hot.
If you’re short on meat add more mushrooms or forgoe the meat altogether and make a vegetarian cheesesteak. A large portabello mushroom can be sliced and substituted for the meat. The juicy almost beefy texture of the cooked mushroom will fool even the most diehard cheesesteak lover and creates a healthier version of this famous sandwich.
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