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

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.