Philly Steak Sandwiches with a South African Twist
Posted on August 7, 2016 by in beef
Philly Steak Sandwiches are by no means something new, it has been around since the 1930’s.
Philly Steak sandwiches are quite simplistic, chopped steak, braised onions and a fresh roll. Finished! Kapish! It is however when you make something as simple as this that each element must be good quality, prepared with care and time, which just happens to be the two things that we sometimes most neglect.
The story goes that Pat and Harry Olivieri originally owned a hot dog stand and one day Harry decided to make a new sandwich and while he was eating his sandwich a cab driver passed by, asked him about what he was eating and requested one for himself. Well the end of this story is history and today millions of people all over the world and specifically in the Americas rate it as their top street food.
Of course I am not American, I am a full-blooded South African, so of course I will give these Philly Steak Sandwiches a South African twist and what can be more South African than biltong(jerky). So I decided to season my chopped steak or better known to us as topside mince with biltong Spice.
I buy mine from our local Spar, but you can visit Freddie Hirsch in Maitland or order online. I used the Hunters Biltong Spice. The other key element of these sandwiches are the braised onions, but we will talk about that in the recipe.
Philly Steak Sandwiches
serves 4
Ingredients
500 g topside mince
1 finely chopped red onion
handful chopped parsley
about 20 ml Hunters Biltong Spice
2-3 large onions – finely sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
5 ml sugar
5 ml white vinegar
4 bread rolls
4 slices strong white cheddar
Method
Firstly make the patties. Add the chopped red onion and parsley to the mince and mix well. Make 4 patties the size of your bun or bread. Season each patty liberally on both sides and keep until needed.
Heat the olive oil in a small pot and braise the onions on low heat until they are soft and caramel in color. Add the sugar and keep braising a little more. Lastly add the vinegar and salt and pepper and keep until needed.
Fry or grill the patties until just cooked. For the last minute, place the cheese slice on top and keep frying it until the cheese is melted. Simple place the cheesy steak on a your buttered roll or bread and top with the caramelized onion. Serve with fries and hot English mustard if you must.
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