You may not live in Philadelphia but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a great cheesesteak sandwich. Today I’m firing up the grill for my own version of this classic combo of meat and cheese in a recipe sponsored by Omaha Steaks and featuring grilled sirloin, cheddar and gruyere cheese sauce, and home-made buttermilk onion rings.
Put it all on a toasted brioche bun and you may never go back to the original!
ULTIMATE CHEESESTEAK SANDWICH
Ingredients
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup canola oil
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. dried rosemary
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Six 4-ounce Omaha Steaks’ Sirloin Supreme
Steak dry rub seasoning (recipe follows)
Buttermilk onion rings (recipe follows)
Cheese sauce (recipe follows)
4 brioche buns, lightly toasted
Dijon mustard
Instructions
Combine the balsamic vinegar, canola oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, dried rosemary, pepper, and garlic in a large mixing bowl and whisk well. Place steaks in a large re-sealable bag, pour in marinade, and seal while removing any excess air. Refrigerate steaks for 1-2 hours.
Prepare grill for high heat cooking (450-500 degrees). Remove steaks from marinade and pat dry. Season steaks liberally with steak dry rub seasoning. Grill steaks for approximately 2-3 minutes per side until they reach an internal temperature of 130 degrees (it's worth investing in a quality thermometer such as the Super-fast Thermapen from ThermaWorks) for medium rare.
Remove steaks from the grill and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly on the bias.
Assemble the sandwiches by placing ¼ of the sliced steak on each bottom bun, top with cheese sauce and 2-3 onion rings, and add the top bun. Serve along with extra onion rings.
Steak Dry Rub Seasoning
Ingredients
2 tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tbsp. Kosher salt
2 tsp. granulated garlic
2 tsp. granulated onion
2 tsp. ground mustard
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Buttermilk Onion Rings
Buttermilk Onion Rings
Ingredients
2 Vidalia onions, cut into ½ inch slices and rings separated
1 pint buttermilk
2 tbsp. steak dry rub seasoning
3 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 cup flour
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
Combine buttermilk and 1 tbsp. of dry rub in a large re-sealable bag. Add onions to the bag, seal, and shake to combine the buttermilk and dry rub. Refrigerate the onions for at least 4 hours or overnight to tenderize.
Fill a large saucepan halfway full with oil and preheat to 350 degrees. Combine flour and the remaining 1 tbsp. of dry rub in a medium bowl and blend well. Remove the onions from the buttermilk, shake off the excess liquid, and dredge onions in the seasoned flour.
Combine the eggs and milk in a medium bowl and whisk well. Fill a third bowl with the Panko breadcrumbs.
Coat onions with flour then dip in the egg mixture. Coat with Panko and place on a wire rack.
Working in batches, fry onion rings until they are crisp and golden brown. Remove the onion rings with a large slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain until ready to serve.
Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
¼ cup flour
¼ cup butter
2 cups whole milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Melt the butter over medium heat then slowly add in the flour. Stir to create a thick paste and add in the milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer then add in the cheeses slowly and stir until completely melted. Add salt and pepper to taste and keep the sauce over low heat until ready to use.
* This post is sponsored by Omaha Steaks but the recipe and opinions are my own.