Cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and onions Philadelphia cheese steak, aka Philly cheese steak or simply cheesesteak (so named due to its origin in Philadelphia) is a sandwich often meeting the following criteria:
- It is made with a submarine or Hoagie roll (an oblong, typically 6" or 12" piece of latitudinally-sliced French or Italian bread).
- It contains a thinly-sliced, grilled piece of steak; American, provolone, or Swiss cheese, or cheese spread such as Cheez Whiz; and possibly other ingredients including grilled onions, green peppers, pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms, and/or pizza sauce (a Pizza Steak).
The inventor of the cheesesteak was Philadelphian Pat Olivieri who combined chopped-up steak with a little onion and put it in a bun. He began selling the new confections at his hot dog stand. They became so popular he opened up his own cheesesteak restaurant in 1930.
Much debate can be had in Philadelphia over what makes a Philadelphia cheese steak unique. Some believe it is the roll while others believe how fine the meat is chopped. Still others believe it is the cooking method. Many Philadelphians consider Cheez Whiz the only correct cheese, which caused embarrassment for 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry when he ordered his with Swiss cheese (Cheesesteak bites Kerry (http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/local/6528601.htm)). However, Cheez Whiz was first introduced in 1952, 22 years after Pat's opened. In the Philadelphia area, cheesesteaks are also invariably made with hoagie rolls made by the Philadelphia-based Amoroso's Baking Company, commonly known as Amoroso's Rolls.
Philly cheesesteaks can be found throughout the U.S. and Canada at various sandwich restaurants, some of which specialize in or serve only cheesesteaks.
Pat's Steaks and Geno's Steaks, both in South Philadelphia on the same street, are widely considered the best places to get a cheesesteak anywhere, though many Philadelphians develop a loyalty to a local neighborhood steak shop.
See also: French dip sandwich - Submarine sandwich
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