PHILLY CHEESESTEAK OR FAJITAS?

                            Philly Cheesesteak or Fajitas?

           A Philly Cheesesteak is one of those things that one is bound to miss if you have ever lived in Philadelphia. It is one of those local specialties that seem to be difficult to replicate elsewhere despite its simple ingredients. It may appear occasionally on restaurant menus as shaved steak sandwich or sometimes even under its own name, but it seldom approaches the ‘real thing’. That is served in Italian neighborhoods in Philly or from the stand in Reading Terminal market, where the long lines of hungry customers wind along the market isles waiting for this succulent sandwich.

          The best I have ever encountered elsewhere was in Verdi, near Reno NV, but when questioned the chef admitted having recently moved from Philadelphia. It should not be difficult to assemble just the right slightly crusty Italian roll with quickly fried shaved steak, onions, pepper and Provolone in a slightly drippy delicious mega sandwich. During one of our last snowstorms, nostalgia made me try to do just that and here are my modestly successful results.

                                         Philly Cheesesteak, my version

          For 2 persons, start with shaved steak from the market or ¼ inch or less sliced rib steak, 4-6 oz meat per person. Slice 2 slightly crusted Italian rolls lengthwise; 1 large onion thinly sliced and 1 red or green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced.  Have ready two 10- or 12-inch pans, one with a lid.

          In the pan with the lid, fry the onion and pepper in 1 tblsp. vegetable oil without browning on medium heat, for 5 minutes.

          In the other pan fry the shaved steak, sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper, in 1 tblsp. vegetable oil, hot but not smoking, on high heat until the meat is no longer pink. Transfer the meat to the vegetable pan on medium heat and spread meat on top of the vegetables. Place 4-6 slices thinly sliced sharp Provolone on top and cover with the lid for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted.

       Distribute the warm contents of the pan between the two rolls and serve with a dill pickle wedge and some French fries or potato chips.

          The flavor combination of sliced steak, onions and peppers have inspired another wrapped sandwich, Fajita.  Its origins are from South America with the spiced meat wrapped in a tortilla. It may have originated by way of thin slices of grilled tougher steaks like flank or skirt, wrapped in a tortilla for convenient eating.  Citrus is abundant there and spices came later. Current spice blend for Fajitas is complex, including chili, lime juice, cumin, garlic, paprika and cayenne. Fortunately, Fajita mix, analogous to Taco mix, is available in most stores. While salsa and sour cream feature in both Tacos and Fajitas, Fajitas do not contain fresh salad and cheese topping the meat, but both meat and vegetables are cooked arriving at a very different flavor. Fajitas taste wonderful not only with beef, but also chicken. Portabella mushrooms would make satisfying vegetarian Fajitas.  Flour tortillas are the standard, but corn tortillas would make this gluten free.

I first encountered Fajitas in a Brazilian restaurant in California, while on a sabbatical. So, on another of our trifecta of snowstorms last week, these made our dinner that day.

                                                              Beef Fajitas

Thinly slice flank, skirt or even sirloin steak against the grain in ¼ thick strips, 4 oz. meat per person. Have ready 3 small flour tortillas per person, wrapped  in a dish towel for warming in the microwave. For two persons, slice ½ large red onion in thin slices. Seed and slice a small green or red pepper in ½ inch strips. Cut wedges of lime.

In a large pan fry the meat in 1 tblsp. hot vegetable oil until no longer pink and set aside. Heat another 1 tblsp. vegetable oil in the same pan and sauté the onion and pepper for 4 minutes until barely softened. Add the meat and sprinkle a packet of Fajita mix over, stirring to coat the meat. Add the amount of water directed on the packet and cook the sauce 11-2 minutes, until mostly absorbed.

Heat the tortillas briefly, divide among the plate and place the filling in a strip in the middle. Top each with 2 tsp. salsa and sour cream and decorate with lime wedges. Eat folded up by hand, with a fork handy for filling that slips out of the cover. Enjoy!

It’s been delicious fun to recollect these flavorful meals despite, or because of all those snowstorms.

   (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)