I’m not from Philadelphia and these sandwiches are not Philly cheesesteaks. Philly cheesesteaks are a simple recipe, but what’s included is hotly debated. All agree that Philly cheesesteaks deserve a good cut of beef, like ribeye. But that’s only because they’ve never tried them with elk.
Phew! That should be enough mentions of Philly to fuel SEO :D. Now let’s get down to making a sandwich.
As always, my purpose isn’t to wow you with amazing recipes that take a chef to make them. I just want to give you ideas for using your meat that everyone will enjoy. That way, it’ll be easier to get away to hunt again next time.
Like many of you, I made a roast of game meat for Thanksgiving — a much more reasonable meal our forefathers likely shared in the 1600s. And, I’m sure like many of you, I had leftovers.
Slicing that leftover elk roast into thin, bite-sized pieces and re-frying it on the stove with cheese and onions, and stuffed in a sandwich was an excellent way to eat it. Here are some tips.
What You Need
- Good meat. I used a top round from an elk’s rump, but you could use other cuts and make them more tender. Cut your meat into thin slices and then again into bite-sized pieces.
- 1 Onion, sliced into bite-sized chunks
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- American cheese, though your favorite cheese will work, too
- Tasty hoagie buns
- Cooking oil
- Seasoning
- Skillet
What You Do
Preheat your skillet to medium-high heat. While you slice garlic and onions, get let the meat warm to room temperature. Season the meat with salt or seasoned salt and mix together with a little cooking oil in a bowl. You need to get a good sear, so when you add the slices to the pan, don’t move them. Let them brown, then flip to finish cooking. Don’t put too much meat into the pan at once, either, or it will release too much moisture which will steam the meat instead of searing it. Remove the meat from the pan and sear another batch. Remove the meat from the pan.
Reduce the heat a little to cook the garlic and onions. Use more oil and deglaze the pan, mixing all the bits from the meat up with the garlic. Once the garlic begins browning, add the onions. Onions will take several minutes to cook. Leave them a little crisp, or saute them to softness, it’s up to you.
Next, put the meat back into the pan and mix with the onions to reheat, and prepare to add the cheese. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and drape the American cheese on the meat and onions to start melting.
Now, my kids are of an age where they don’t want things mixed, which I always tell them is a mistake. So, they wanted these served without mixing the cheese in completely, as in the picture. But I think you’ll like it more if you mix the melted cheese into the meat and onions, making a creamy pile of meat that fills your sandwich bun.
Serve hot on toasted hoagie buns.
