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 and 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. While Harry was eating the 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 would give these Philly Steak Sandwiches a South African twist and what can be more South African than biltong (jerky)? I decided to season my chopped steak, or better known to us as topside mince, with Hunters Biltong Spice.
I buy my steak from our local Spar, but you can visit Freddie Hirsch in Maitland or order online. The other key element of these sandwiches are the braised onions, but we will talk about that in the recipe.
500g topside mince
One finely chopped red onion
Handful chopped parsley
About 20ml Hunters Biltong Spice
Two or three large onions – finely sliced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
5ml sugar
5ml white vinegar
Four bread rolls
Four slices strong white cheddar
Firstly make the patties. Add the chopped red onion and parsley to the mince and mix well. Make four 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 colour. 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. Simply 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.
