Less $ alternative to ribeye for philly sandwiches?

[qposner]

My local butcher can slice ribeye for me, but at $18/lb! Does anyone use a less expensive alternative? My butcher suggested bottom round, but I'm not sure about that. Thanks!

[Smoking Piney]

I live in the land of Philly Cheese Steaks and cooked several thousand when I ran a bar kitchen. The meat is very thinly sliced and cooked on a flat top, and I don't see how bottom round sliced very thin would make a huge difference. The meat is pulled apart when close to done and layered with cheese to mix and finish. If you want the "real" Philly experience, use Cheese Whiz. The bar I worked at used American cheese slices and I think it tasted much better than the mystery concoction Cheese Whiz is.

Close enough is close enough given the price point.

[m-fine]

If I remember correctly, Pat's uses ribeye, Jim's uses top round. I think Genos is also ribeye but not chopped up. Jim's is actually my favorite of the three.

[Big Andy]

I went to Restaurant Depot a few weeks ago, whole ribeyes were $7.49 for choice, they also had some under $5 for ungraded. I think these would work fine for thin slicing. I used my KCBS membership card for entry. Not sure if you have access to one but it's a thought.

[2liter]

I use strip loin, usually can find it for under $7 a pound at Sams or Costco.

[wihint]

I have used leaner boneless short ribs, frozen for about 30 minutes and then shaved on the slicer. Really great taste and suddenly miss Philly, Passeyunk, and the terminal market!

[IXL]

Chuck eye is usually around half the cost of rib eye

[SmittyJonz]

Smitty's PoBoy Texas Cheese Steak Sammiches.:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=224980
.
.

[gengle]

Strip loin sliced so thin there's only meat on one side of it does the trick! Chuck roasts for that matter are damn fine too. After all these years, I still roll with the Wiz wit/out! ;>

[jermoQ]

meat is pulled apart when close to done and layered with cheese to mix and finish. If you want the "real" Philly experience, use Cheese Whiz. The bar I worked at used American cheese slices and I think it tasted much better than the mystery concoction Cheese Whiz is.

HOLD IT! :argue:. In my home town in Mid MO, a guy and his sis who were from Philly, opened a place called "The Philly", and they had a dad who owned another cheese steak place in Philly. They don't have any cheese whiz in their building and have been serving cheese steaks for better than 15 years. I thought that authentic meant melted in with provolone? I know he told me that they never put green peppers on a cheese steak, but do all of those "other" people really dig having "whiz" on their cheese steak? :fencing:

[SmittyJonz]

Carne Asada meat ( either chopped flank or sirloin - didn't say) and Thin cut Sirloin.

[qposner]

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the suggestions.

[Mrdibs]

I'd always heard that wiz is for tourists.

http://www.philly.com/philly/food/20080523_Whiz_on_a_cheesesteak__Hit_or_myth_.html

[Gore]

I've had a few and in all honesty, I couldn't taste anything but cheez whiz. The meat could've been tofu for all I would've known. The thought of covering $18/lb ribeye with cheese whiz is a crime. Yeah, there are the provolone lovers out there, but those I know in the City of Brotherly Love are cheez-whizzers through and through: "You can make a cheesesteak without cheez whiz, but it will not be a Philly Cheesesteak." Provolone isn't in their vocabulary. The only controversy is between Geno's or Pat's. For me, pass the provolone and hold the Whiz: I am not a Philly-cheesesteak lover.

[cholloway]

For me, pass the provolone and hold the Whiz: I am not a Philly-cheesesteak lover.

I'm with Gore on this one...
I'd rather have a roast beef po-boy instead ANYDAY!

[Victory]

top round makes a great cheesesteak.

I prefer american cheese on my cheesesteak, provolone is a close second. no thanks on the cheese wiz. I also like lettuce tomato and mayo with some fried onions.

[daninnewjersey]

HOLD IT! :argue:. In my home town in Mid MO, a guy and his sis who were from Philly, opened a place called "The Philly", and they had a dad who owned another cheese steak place in Philly. They don't have any cheese whiz in their building and have been serving cheese steaks for better than 15 years. I thought that authentic meant melted in with provolone? I know he told me that they never put green peppers on a cheese steak, but do all of those "other" people really dig having "whiz" on their cheese steak? :fencing:

I've spent more drunken time at 4AM standing in line at Pat's and Gino's than I care to admit. "Wiz wit"...which in translation means "Excuse me my good sir, may I please have my steak sandwich with your finest Cheese Whiz and some of your wonderful fried onions" is what most people order....:mrgreen::mrgreen:

[m-fine]

Going for a cheesesteak for lunch today. Local place run by a Philly expat who knows the importance of real Amoroso rolls.

I think the original cheese was provolone although wiz has been the go to for a long time. IMHO, either is acceptable on a cheesesteak, but the fries need wiz to be authentic south Philly.

And green peppers? No No No! That is a steak sub or hoagie, NOT. Cheesesteak.

[Zak]

I use spoon roasts(sirloin) for my steak sandwiches. I've done a side by side of rib eye and spoon roast, spoon roast was just as good and much cheaper. I usually get some on sale when they hit $2.99 per lb.

[rookiedad]

my favorite meat for cheese steak is pork! you can either slice a loin partially frozen to get the thin slices (that is the way they slice the ribeye) or shread a shoulder roast and chop it on the griddle with the spatulas. chicken works great that way too. the secret to the flavor is whatever they have in that dented shaker can.

[EdF]

Interesting angle, rookiedad!

[Smoking Piney]

HOLD IT! :argue:. In my home town in Mid MO, a guy and his sis who were from Philly, opened a place called "The Philly", and they had a dad who owned another cheese steak place in Philly. They don't have any cheese whiz in their building and have been serving cheese steaks for better than 15 years. I thought that authentic meant melted in with provolone? I know he told me that they never put green peppers on a cheese steak, but do all of those "other" people really dig having "whiz" on their cheese steak? :fencing:

The tourists buy into it and hence - the "authentic Philly cheese steak"

Cheese Whiz is terrible, and that's why the bar I cooked in used American as a standard - or any other cheese the customer ordered.

[big_weight]

Those Amoroso rolls! Anybody know if Restaurant Depot, or anybody else, carries the par-baked or frozen version?

A local burger joint gets them somewhere. Once, I talked the owner into selling me 8 of them for pulled pork sammiches, but he doesn't want to sell me any more. IIRC, they come something like 60 to a pack.

[smoke ninja]

Top round that has been sous vide @130 and then griddled does the trick for $3 lbs.

I tend to use leftover steak or roasts most of the time. Leftover brisket is an interesting twist

[Smoking Piney]

What we forget here is the roll............

You need a roll that will hold up to the heap of meat and cheese, while still holding a small amount of crunch on top.

Translating this whole thread means: Do your own thing and make it taste great. There is really no such thing as an "authentic Philly cheese steak."

Every restaurant and bar in the Philly area has their own versions of cheese steaks.

Make yours your own and call it good. :-D

[Schmoke]

Cheez Wiz is not terrible. It's authentic.

And good.

Provolone is good too. Many say it's better than Wiz.

But the Wiz is the real deal.

[hammb]

What we forget here is the roll............

You need a roll that will hold up to the heap of meat and cheese, while still holding a small amount of crunch on top.

Translating this whole thread means: Do your own thing and make it taste great. There is really no such thing as an "authentic Philly cheese steak."

Every restaurant and bar in the Philly area has their own versions of cheese steaks.

Make yours your own and call it good. :-D

You got the nail on the head for me. The roll is more important than the cut of beef or the cheese to me. Although I am definitely a ribeye and provolone guy.

Local place here run by a guy from Philly gets the Amoroso rolls from Philly and you can buy them for a buck each there. They make a firesteak which is actually my preferred version. Basically add Frank's red hot and banana peppers with provolone. It rocks.

[smoke ninja]

You got the nail on the head for me. The roll is more important than the cut of beef or the cheese to me. Although I am definitely a ribeye and provolone guy.

Local place here run by a guy from Philly gets the Amoroso rolls from Philly and you can buy them for a buck each there. They make a firesteak which is actually my preferred version. Basically add Frank's red hot and banana peppers with provolone. It rocks.

The banana peppers seem to be big on "cheesesteaks" here. Then again Tubbys grilled steak subs have lettuce

I love a good grilled steak sub. Lately ive been making my own rolls.

http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l520/smokeninjabbq/blackstone/20170107_211542_zpszzgtdm15.jpg (http://s1121.photobucket.com/user/smokeninjabbq/media/blackstone/20170107_211542_zpszzgtdm15.jpg.html)

[smokeswirl]

Lived in Philly for about 10 years before moving back to NY.And I have come to love cheesesteaks. Geno's and Pat's have wiz as does a ton of other establishments, nearly all. As far as Im concerned Pats and Genos are the originals.

I prefer cheesesteaks from Dalesandro's or Chubbys both places you can get provolone; my cheese of choice. While the choice of cheese is debatable the Amoroso rolls are the standard. Accept no substitute.

I've even had my share of chicken cheesesteaks with thinly sliced breast of chicken . If you happen to be in Philly and had a cheesesteak before forget the steaks and get a John's Italian Pork Sandwich...with sharp provolone.

[hammb]

The banana peppers seem to be big on "cheesesteaks" here. Then again Tubbys grilled steak subs have lettuce

I love a good grilled steak sub. Lately ive been making my own rolls.

http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l520/smokeninjabbq/blackstone/20170107_211542_zpszzgtdm15.jpg (http://s1121.photobucket.com/user/smokeninjabbq/media/blackstone/20170107_211542_zpszzgtdm15.jpg.html)

Those look fantastic. What do you do for the rolls? I bake a fair amount of bread, but have never really come up with something crusty/chewy enough to replace a good Amoroso Roll for a steak sandwich. I'm guessing a fairly wet dough?

[daninnewjersey]

John's Italian Pork Sandwich...with sharp provolone.

Best roast pork in town....add long hots to it....

[BobBrisket]

Can only offer my tourist's opinion. My wife and I loved our visit to Philly some years back. I spent the entire day at the Terminal Market while she sat it really long and boring conferences! LOL!

I personally enjoyed the roast pork and beef sammiches at Tommy Dinic's. I believe they offered em with broccoli rabe. Damn, those things were good. Probably had em twice a day during our visit. Enjoyed them moreso that the cheesesteak.

The one cheesesteak place we visited was Campos. With provo and they did serve em with peppers. We really enjoyed em. Didn't have any wit wiz. Just didn't get around to any of em.

I also spent WAY too much time drinking the milk stout at Mc Gillins. I only wish I could have brought back a truckload of that stuff with me from Philly.

I prefer ribeye, but I have found chuck to be just as good. Personally, a cut with a good bit of fat is what I prefer. Fat is Flava!!

[B-More BBQ Junkie]

We usually do London Broils when we do cheese steaks. I usually grill them up to sear the outside, then we slice them thin and my wife finishes them in a pan on the stove with some Maggi (Asian soy seasoning sauce with MSG). It's Killer

[smoke ninja]

Those look fantastic. What do you do for the rolls? I bake a fair amount of bread, but have never really come up with something crusty/chewy enough to replace a good Amoroso Roll for a steak sandwich. I'm guessing a fairly wet dough?

Hogie rolls from America's Test Kitchen Bread Illustrated

Its a really good book. Very informative, every recipe I've tried is good. I just wish they listed formulas in grams

5 cups [27.5 oz] bread flour
4 teas instant yeast
1 TBS salt
2 cups [16 oz] water
3 TBS vegetable oil
1 large egg
4 teas sugar
Bake @ 350 for 30-35 min

Makes 8 rolls