Spicy Philly Cheesesteak

The Best Philly Cheesesteak

One of the things that I’ve been surprised about getting from some of you is requests for sandwich recipes. I think that a sandwich isn’t that complicated and anyone can do it, basically, with out instruction. When it comes to a Philly Cheesesteak, however, I understand that everyone likes it the way they like it but don’t necessarily know how to replicate or duplicate their favorite sandwich from their local favorite sub shops. But, what I’m about to show you is a bit unconventional and unheard of. I’m going to make a Spicy Philly Cheesesteak that has the qualities of two different sandwich styles that you either love or love one more than the other.

Thinly sliced Premium Roast Beef from my local Deli.

What kind of Beef to use

First thing is simple and everyone can get from their local deli with out paying a grip for it and it’s just Premium Roast Beef. It’s roughly around $6 dollars per lbs. and I’ve purchased it, on sale, for $3.98 before. Most Cheesesteaks are made with Ribeye steak so, you can’t go wrong with this lunch meat, thinly sliced. The other major player and component to great sub is the roll. I buy Walmart’s 8″ sub rolls because they’re cheap, soft and tasty. Contrary to popular belief, they have an excellent bakery so don’t be afraid to pick up a six pack bag of sub rolls from Walmart.

If you’re ordering your Cheesesteak sandwich “With”, that means with sauteed onions, I recommend adding some diced Jalapeno peppers as well. This will take the sub to a whole new level and give the meat more spice.

What about the Cheese

Cheese! Usually a steak and cheese sandwich is made with one of three cheeses; American, Provolone or Cheez Whiz cheese. The two famous rivals in Philadelphia, Pat’s and Geno’s, battle this one out between their customers constantly so, it’s more about preference really. Personally, I’m a fan of all three but for this recipe I’m going to recommend Swiss cheese and Nacho Cheese instead.

Swiss cheese, in my opinion, adds more depth to the flavor of the cheesesteak and gives it a little more bite. I’m a big fan of the mushroom and Swiss burgers, not to mention I love French Onion Soup, which is made with Swiss Gruyere cheese, so it only makes sense to use Swiss cheese. The Nacho cheese makes sense to me too because it’s processed cheese with a kick. I did label this sandwich “Spicy” and the Nacho cheese helps achieve that title. I’m only recommending, however, that you use El Mexicano’s brand for canned Nacho Cheese. It’s the best.

On a side note, there are two other steak sandwich’s that I have filmed and posted before, if you care to look at those as another option. Though I really enjoy those other recipes, this is my favorite among the three. Here’s my Steak and Cheese Sandwich and my original Philly Cheesesteak recipes.

Spicy Philly Cheesesteak video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Spicy Philly Cheesesteak Ingredients:

1 lbs Premium Roast Beef, thinly sliced deli meat, 1/2 lb per sub
1 bag 8″ Sub Rolls
1 Onion, chopped 1/2 per sub sandwich
1 can Jalapeno, diced
1 can Nacho Cheese, 2 tbsp per sandwich
1 pkg Swiss Cheese, 2 slices per sub
2 tbsp Olive Oil, for frying
Salt and Pepper to taste

Follow the instructions in the Spicy Philly Cheesesteak video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how easy this is to make.

Bloody Mary Brunch

The Best Bloody Mary

I’ve always loved a good cocktail and this Bloody Mary Brunch is no exception because it’s got it all. Not only are they known for being a fantastic hangover cure, restaurants around the world are now making them a meal by adding epic ingredients to the garnishment. It use to only incorporate a few vegetables like a stick of celery and some green olives but, now days, you can get just about anything and I’m going to show you exactly what I’m talking about.

1 box of frozen microwaveable Cheeseburger Sliders.

Bloody Mary Garnish’s

The last thing anyone wants, when they’re hungover, is difficulty so, in this Bloody Mary demonstration, I keep it simple by using a products that only take a few minutes to put together and cook. In these instances, the freezer section at your local grocery store can be your best friend; especially if you planned ahead and already have a box of microwaveable goodies in your ice box. In this post I use White Castles cheeseburger sliders(which I’m, in no way, affiliated), but you can use all kinds of things. Jalapeno Poppers, Bagel Bites, Jimmy Dean Breakfast sandwich’s, cheese sticks or pizza pockets are just some examples.

Now when it comes to the Bloody Mary mix, I do like them bold and spicy. One of the best mix recipes that I have ever come across, and again I’m not affiliated with, is made by Zing Zang. I’m pretty sure it can now be found in every grocery Walmart around the world. I’ve used it to make my Red Beer and it’s amazing to cook a roast in.

I use pickle juice and Tajin to salt and spice the rim of my glass. Tajin is used in my Mangonada Recipe and I’ve got a pic of what it looks like in that post. It has a wonderful blend of dehydrated and ground chili peppers, sea salt and lime juice so, it’s perfect for any Bloody Mary recipe.

Bloody Mary Brunch Ingredients:

1 glass Ice
3 oz Vodka
8 oz Bloody Mary Mix
3 tbsp Pickle Juice
3 tbsp Tajin, spicy salt
1 pc Bacon, cooked
1 stick Celery
2 Slider Cheese burgers
1 Pickle, small
2 Queen Pimento Green Olives

I use shish kebab sticks for skewers and straws for Drinking these Bloody Mary Brunch cocktail’s.

Spicy Noodles

The Best Spicy Noodles

If you love Spicy Noodles, you’re in for a real treat. I’ve created a fusion recipe by combining both Italian and Asian ingredients. It’s sweet, spicy and only takes about 15 minutes to prepare and cook, from beginning to end. It isn’t time consuming and the results are tremendously delicious. Plus you can add Chicken, shrimp or more vegetables if you would like to make it an entire meal. It’s totally up to you and your creative control.

Spicy Noodles, Italian or Asian pasta

For this Spicy Noodles recipe, I used Angel Hair pasta but you’re going to have to go with your gut on this one or just use what ever you have. I’ve made this successfully with Fettuccine and Ramen noodles. So, that’s going to be up to you. In the past I have professed, religiously, that it’s a cardinal sin using Italian pasta to make Chinese recipes like Chow Mein or Lo Mein. But, since this is a fusion recipe, those commandments don’t apply. The secrets to cooking your pasta, to attain the correct texture, is explained in my video tutorial.

More Asian noodle recipes I’ve posted include my Garlic Noodle, Restaurant style Chicken Chow Mein, Eastern Chow Mein, Vegetable Lo Mein with Ramen, Rice Noodles(soft or fried), How to make Pasta or Egg Noodles and a whole slew of Italian pasta recipes, too. All of which have the correct Asian Noodles or Italian pasta for each one. So, look into those if you want more options.

Spicy Noodles Sauce and Ingredients

The Sauce for this Spicy Noodles recipe is very straight forward and simple because I just combine 3 pre-made bottles of sauce; ketchup, sweet chili sauce and sriracha. Originally Spicy Sauce only contains the ketchup and sriracha, if you want to try it that way, but the sweet chili adds so much depth it can’t be denied. You can add soy sauce too, if you like but it really isn’t necessary. Even the sriracha might be a bit too much for some because there are already chili flakes in sweet chili sauce. So, that will be up to you. The other bottled ingredient you will need is sesame oil. If you don’t have it, it’s okay. This dish still tastes great with out it. You can even add chicken broth to a bowl of Spicy noodles and eat it more like an authentic bowl of homemade Ramen noodles.

Spicy Noodles Ingredients: Serves 6 to 8

1 pkg Angel Hair or Fettuccine pasta
1/2 gal Boiled Water

1/2 tsp Ginger, grated or chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 Green Onions, chopped
5 Fresh Basil leaves, chopped

Sauce
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup Sweet Chili Sauce
1 tbsp Sriracha, optional

1 tsp Sesame Oil

If you want to add chicken or shrimp to this recipe, I recommend seasoning it first with salt, pepper and smoked paprika and you want to use red onion instead of green. Cook the meat with the garlic and ginger first, then add the red onion and noodles and proceed with the recipe as I have instructed in the Spicy Noodles video tutorial.