Philly Cheesesteak Pinwheels

Hooked_On_BBQ

Once again, we had a special guest in Team FOGO member and all around good guy, William Horst of Hooked_On_BBQ join us this week.  Will brought one of his signature recipes to us and he and @CptnRon302 kicked it up a few notches.   Will is an avid griller and BBQ master from New Jersey (don’t hold that against him) and has been a member of our Ambassador Team, #TeamFOGO for quite some time.  Will is well known for grilling lobster, steak and especially steak pinwheels.  Well when he said that Halteman Family Meats from Philadelphia would be supplying us with the meat for this cook, it only seemed natural to take it the Philly Cheesesteak route.  We even simmered the veggies in Yuengling beer just to keep it in the Pennsylvania family.  We sure are glad we did too.  These things were fantastic!

The Philly Cheesesteak

If you are not familiar with the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, we may just have to ask you to leave right now.  NO! NO! NO!  Don’t go anywhere, it was just a joke. (but consider yourself warned)  The iconic sandwich was originally created by Pat and Harry Olivieri in the 1930’s.  Pat is still serving up these tasty sandwiches at his spot, Pat’s King of Steaks and has a long standing battle with his neighbor across the street, Geno’s Steaks.  Which is better?  You’ll have to go to Philly and try them for yourselves.  No way am I getting in the middle of that long standing battle!

There are many other famous cheesesteak places around Philly that serve incredible sammiches (yes, that is a real word, look it up) but these two are probably the most famous and their long standing feud keeps their faithful coming back.

What’s In a Philly Cheesesteak?

The Philly is generally made up of shaved ribeye steak & grilled onions.  If you want the onions on it, simply tell them you want yours “wit”…as in “with onions”.  Believe it or not, the most popular cheese for it is Cheez Whiz.  So, if you are in Philly and don’t want to seem like a tourist and chance getting poked fun at or even sent to the end of the line, order yours “Whiz wit”.  You will get a cheesesteak with onions and cheese, and they’ll think you’re a local!

The shaved ribeye is cooked hot and fast on a blazing hot griddle and seasoned with nothing more than some salt and pepper.  There are many other variations but that is how the original sandwich is still made to this day.  They are traditionally served on an Italian type of bread known as a torpedo or hero roll but some have broken tradition and serve it on a kaiser roll or some other type of bread.  For me, this is unacceptable.  Italian bread is the only way to go.

There are other variations, such as what we did here.  We added peppers to the sandwich.  Although not traditional, it is delicious nonetheless and most places have even succumbed to the pressure to serve theirs with peppers.  Hot, sweet or other types are all acceptable in my eyes.

Cheesesteak Pinwheels

Now, let’s face it, almost anyone can throw some shaved ribeye and onions in a pan or on a flat top and cook it up.  Well you know us, we love to complicate…no…put our own twist on things,  Yes, that sounds so much better.  Ron & Will brainstormed and came up with these Philly Cheesesteak pinwheels and even added a few more twists.  For one, instead of ribeye, Will arranged for this incredible Prime Flank Steak from Haltemans.  It makes for perfect pinwheels because it cooks quickly and holds together beautifully.  Next, we added the peppers.  That’s not such a stretch but the idea that we braised the onions and peppers down in beer after griddling them was a total departure from the norm and turned out to be a phenomenal idea.  As far as the cheese, I think that next time I’d like to try it with a stronger tasting cheese such as provolone.  Much of the cheddar seemed to melt out of them and even burned on the plancha.  I feel the provolone would hold up better by staying inside the pinwheels and adding a certain sharpness that would have been welcomed. 

We all agreed that the way that we did the bread for this was a winner.  Those garlic bread crostini made for a crunchy bite that was just packed with flavor.  These would make a great appetizer or meal, whichever you choose.  If you want to share, bring them to a party and watch them disappear.  If you want to keep the goodness all for yourself, nobody will judge you or blame you.  They’re just that good.  As a matter of fact, if you listen carefully, you can still hear the echoes of famous Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa yelling into the kitchen…Yo Adrian…MORE PINWHEELS!!!

If you are wanting something different, go ahead and give these Philly Cheesesteak Pinwheels a try.  They are actually easier than they seem and are a real taste bud pleaser.  For more information and instructions, tap the picture link for the video and watch for yourself.  Plus, it’s always fun to see a couple of buddies cooking and having fun doing it.  Whether you make this or something else, remember to get out and grill and we will see you the nest time on The FOGO Life.

Directions:

1. Fill your grill with FOGO Premium Black Bag Charcoal and prepare it for raised direct grilling.  If you have an EGGspander basket, turn it upside down and place the grate on top.  Place the ½ Moon Cast Iron Griddle Pan on to allow it to heat up while preparing the next steps.
2. Depending on the thickness of your flank steak, flatten it out.  If it is thick enough, butterfly it open to do this.  If it is thinner, like the one we worked with, simply use the meat hammer or bottom of a heavy pan to pound it thinner.  Season the inside and outside with the Tina Cannon Rub, a sprinkling of the salt and set the steak aside.
3. Chop your onions and peppers into small strips.  Place a small amount of the Wagyu Tallow in the  ½ Moon Cast Iron Griddle Pan .  Add the peppers and onions, sprinkle a little of the ghost pepper salt and Tina Cannon rub and cook them until the peppers are just beginning to soften.  Add the beer and cook them down to your desired consistency.  Remove the vegetables from the griddle pan and drain them in a colander.  Remove the pan and replace it with the Carbon Steel Plancha.  Allow it to heat up while you perform the next step.
4. Go grab that steak that you flattened out earlier and place it on your workspace. Cover the steak with a layer of cheese, then a layer of the peppers and onions.  Roll the flank steak up as tight as you can, being careful not to squeeze too much of the filling out.  You can feel free to push the filling back into the ends as much as possible.  Once rolled, use the kitchen twine to tie the roll close in about 3” sections.  Slice the steak roll right in between the twine to form tied rolls.
5. Once the plancha is hot enough that water will “dance” off of it when you pour a little on, place the steak rolls, cut side down onto it and sear them off.  Once they are seared, use the tongs to flip them over and do the same thing to the other side.  Once both ends are done, sear the outside of the rolls as well.   Once they are all seared and cooked through, remove them from the plancha.  
6. To make the Crostini’s- Slice the Italian Bread into thin slices and coat one side lightly with butter and sprinkle with the Garlic Salt.  Place each piece butter side down on the plancha and cook until the bread crisps and begins to turn brown.  Flip them over and cook until they begin to toast.  Remove from the plancha.
7. Slice the rolls in half and top each crostini with a half of a roll.  Place one in your mouth, bite down and enjoy!