Cheesesteak

The cheesesteak was developed in the early 20th century "by combining frizzled beef, onions, and cheese in a small loaf of bread," according to a 1987 exhibition catalog published by the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.{{cite book |title=The Larder Invaded |first1=Mary Anne |last1=Hines |first2=Gordon |last2=Marshall |first3=William Woys |last3=Weaver |publisher=The Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-914076-70-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H-R8yrD_XTMC&q=cheesesteak}}

Philadelphians Pat and Harry Olivieri are often credited with inventing the sandwich by serving chopped steak on an Italian roll in the early 1930s.{{cite book|title=The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink|year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0195307962 |page=451 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AoWlCmNDA3QC|editor=Andrew F. Smith}}{{cite web |url=http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20070730_Ricks_Steaks_takes_Reading_Terminal_Market_dispute_to_court.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124113843/http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20070730_Ricks_Steaks_takes_Reading_Terminal_Market_dispute_to_court.html |archive-date=24 January 2008 |title=Rick's Steaks takes Reading Terminal Market dispute to court |date=30 July 2007 |first=Katie |last=Stuhldreher |publisher=philly.com |access-date=30 July 2007}} The exact story behind its creation is debated, but according to many accounts, Pat and Harry Olivieri originally owned a hot dog stand, and on one occasion, decided to make a new sandwich using chopped beef and grilled onions. While Pat was eating the sandwich, a cab driver stopped by and was interested in it, so he requested one for himself. After eating it, the cab driver suggested that Olivieri quit making hot dogs and instead focus on the new sandwich.{{cite book|last=Ivory|first=Karen|title=Philadelphia Icons: 50 Classic Views of the City of Brotherly Love|year=2011|publisher=Globe Pequot|isbn=978-0762767656|page=18|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I6Iii1MNkXoC}} They began selling this variation of steak sandwiches at their hot dog stand near South Philadelphia's Italian Market. They became so popular that Pat opened up his own restaurant which still operates today as Pat's King of Steaks.{{cite book|last=Epting|first=Chris|title=The Birthplace Book: A Guide to Birth Sites of Famous People, Places, & Things|year=2009|publisher=Stackpole Books|isbn=978-0811740180|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xn5IhA7OAZsC}}

The sandwich was originally prepared without cheese. According to Pat's son Herb Olivieri, American cheese was first added by "Cocky Joe" Lorenza, a manager at the Ridge Avenue location in March of 1951. (However, other Olivieri members may say it was provolone.) There is some dispute over whether Pat's was the first to add cheese, though to date no concrete evidence has emerged to disprove Olivieri's story.{{cite book |last1=Madaio |first1=Mike |title=A History of Philadelphia Sandwiches |date=Nov 5, 2024 |publisher=The History Press |location=Charleston, SC |isbn=1540265366}}

Cheesesteaks have become popular at restaurants and food carts throughout the city with many locations being independently owned, family-run businesses.{{cite book |last1=Brookes |first1=Karin |editor=Zoë Ross |title=Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings |edition=Second (Updated) |year=2005 |publisher=APA Publications |isbn=978-1-58573-026-1 |display-authors=etal |url=https://archive.org/details/insightguidephil00zoer }}{{cite news |first=Betsy |last=Price |title=Tour de cheesesteak |date=10 July 2009 |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090710/LIFE/907100334 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209032816/http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090710/LIFE/907100334 |archive-date=February 9, 2015 |work =The News Journal |access-date=12 July 2009}} Variations of cheesesteaks are now common in several fast food chains.{{cite web |url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/dominos-subway-battle-heats-98132 |title=Domino's, Subway Battle Heats Up |access-date=12 July 2009 |last=Hein |first=Kenneth |date=22 January 2009 |website=Brandweek}} Versions of the sandwich can also be found at high-end restaurants.{{cite news |first=Rachel |last=Horowitz |title=Cheesesteak raises eyebrows and drains wallets |date=11 April 2004 |url=http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2004/11/cheesesteak_raises_eyebrows_and_drains_wallets |work =The Daily Pennsylvanian |access-date=13 July 2009}}{{Cite web |last=Shahid |first=Kunwar Khuldune |date=2023-04-09 |title=The Amazing Story of How Cheesesteaks Became Huge in Lahore, Pakistan |url=https://www.phillymag.com/news/2023/04/08/philly-cheesesteaks-lahore-pakistan/ |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=Philadelphia Magazine |language=en-US}} Many establishments outside of Philadelphia refer to the sandwich as a "Philly cheesesteak".

The meat traditionally used is thinly sliced rib-eye or top round, although other cuts of beef are also used.{{cite web|url=https://phillycheesesteak.com/prep-school/cheesesteaks-101/|title=Cheesesteaks 101: The Basics|website=Original Philly Cheesesteak Co.}} On a lightly oiled griddle at medium temperature, the steak slices are quickly browned and then scrambled into smaller pieces with a flat spatula. Slices of cheese are then placed over the meat, letting it melt, and then the roll is placed on top of the cheese. The mixture is then scooped up with a spatula and pressed into the roll, which is then cut in half.{{cite web |url=https://phillycheesesteak.com/prep-school/how-to-cook-up-a-real-philly-cheesesteak/|title=How To Cook Up A Real Philly Cheesesteak|website=Original Philly Cheesesteak Co.}}

Common additions include sautéed onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper.

In Philadelphia, cheesesteaks are invariably served on hoagie rolls. Among several brands, perhaps the most famous are Amoroso rolls; these rolls are long, soft, and slightly salted.{{cite web |url=http://amorosobaking.com/news/ar_article01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325165433/http://amorosobaking.com/news/ar_article01.html |archive-date=2008-03-25 |title=Philly Mignon |first=John |last=Hodgman |website=Men's Journal |publisher=Amoroso Baking Company |date=May 2002 |access-date=2009-07-02}} One source writes that "a proper cheesesteak consists of provolone or Cheez Whiz slathered on an Amoroso roll and stuffed with thinly shaved grilled meat,"{{cite book |title=Making the Big Game |first=Jeffery |last=Fekete |year=2009 |publisher=Mill City Press |isbn=978-1-935097-32-7 |page=21}} while a reader's letter to an Indianapolis magazine, lamenting the unavailability of good cheesesteaks, wrote that "the mention of the Amoroso roll brought tears to my eyes."{{cite news|title=Beef Eaters|last=Powell|first=Warren|date=December 2000|work=Indianapolis Magazine|page=17|issn=0899-0328}} After commenting on the debates over types of cheese and "chopped steak or sliced", Risk and Insurance magazine declared, "The only thing nearly everybody can agree on is that it all has to be piled onto a fresh, locally baked Amoroso roll."{{cite news |last=Kerr |first=Michelle |title=Hungry for a taste of Philly? |work=Risk and Insurance |volume=16 |page=20 |date=April 2005 | issue=4}}

Food distributors often suggest or sell sandwiches which are inspired by the classic cheesesteak. For example, Pillsbury provides a recipe for "Philly Cheesesteak Wraps" which substitutes a tortilla for the bread.{{cite web | url=https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/philly-cheesesteak-wraps/e9c1daa4-a24f-4594-9409-dd6dba329343 | title=Philly Cheesesteak Wrap | publisher=Pillsbury | accessdate=4 September 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240905115202/https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/philly-cheesesteak-wraps/e9c1daa4-a24f-4594-9409-dd6dba329343 |archive-date=5 September 2024}} Nestlé offers a "Philly Steak and Cheese" made in the form of a Hot Pocket.{{cite web |title=Philly Steak & Cheese Frozen Sandwich 5 Pack |url=https://www.goodnes.com/hot-pockets/products/philly-steak-cheese-5-pack/ |website=goodnes.com |publisher=Société des Produits Nestlé |access-date=5 September 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240905114439/https://www.goodnes.com/hot-pockets/products/philly-steak-cheese-5-pack/ |archive-date=5 September 2024}}

American cheese, provolone, and Cheez Whiz are the most commonly used cheeses or cheese products put on to the Philly cheesesteak.{{cite news |last=Mucha |first=Peter. |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=23 May 2008 |url=http://articles.philly.com/2008-05-23/news/24990246_1_cheez-whiz-cheesesteak-frank-olivieri |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015215550/http://articles.philly.com/2008-05-23/news/24990246_1_cheez-whiz-cheesesteak-frank-olivieri |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 15, 2012 |title=Whiz on a cheesesteak: Hit or myth? |access-date=22 April 2011}}

Some establishments melt the American cheese to achieve a creamy consistency, while others place slices over the meat, letting them melt slightly under the heat. Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan says, "Provolone is for aficionados, extra-sharp for the most discriminating among them," although LaBan was at the time new to the Philadelphia area, and sharp provolone is rarely found in cheesesteak shops, while mild provolone is common. Geno's owner, Joey Vento, said, "We always recommend the provolone. That's the real cheese."

Cheez Whiz, first marketed in 1952, was not yet available for the original 1932 version (or the 1951 version that first added cheese), but has expanded in popularity.{{cite news |last=Hevesi |first=Dennis |date=9 June 2007 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/09/us/09traisman.html?_r=1&oref=slogin |title=Edwin Traisman, 91, Dies; Helped Create Iconic Foods |access-date=10 November 2008}} A 1986 New York Times article called Cheez Whiz "the sine qua non of cheesesteak connoisseurs."{{cite news |title=Cheese Steak: An Original |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/21/garden/after-a-decade-an-adventure-in-dining-out-the-cheese-steak-an-original.html |page=C6 |date=21 May 1986 |access-date=1 July 2009 |url-access=subscription }} In a 1985 interview, Pat Olivieri's nephew Frank Olivieri said that he uses "the processed cheese spread familiar to millions of parents who prize speed and ease in fixing the children's lunch for the same reason, because it is fast."{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/16/us/about-philadelphia-where-cheese-steaks-are-king-one-family-has-assumed-the-crown.html |title=About Philadelphia: Where Cheesesteaks are King, One Family Has Assumed the Crown |first=William K. |last=Stevens |work=The New York Times |page=10 |date=16 November 1985 |access-date=1 July 2009 |url-access=subscription }}

Cheeze Whiz was first added at Pat's South Philadelphia location by Frank Olivieri Sr. in the late 1950s. By that time cheesesteaks were already popular at the Ridge Ave/Strawberry Mansion location, but Pat and Harry Olivieri were hesitant to serve them in South Philly because they had a lot of customers who kept Kosher in that neighborhood (and mixing cheese and meat on the grill would have been problematic). Frank Sr. got the idea to surreptitiously add the Whiz after the sandwich was made, and the idea eventually took off.

Cheez Whiz is "overwhelmingly the favorite" at Pat's, outselling runner-up American by a ratio of eight or ten to one, while Geno's claims to go through eight to ten cases of Cheez Whiz a day.

Cooper Sharp, a "Pasteurized Process American Cheese", is gaining ground as a new cheese option as of 2023. Made from aged Cheddar and having a higher milkfat content, the product is sharper and creamier than ordinary American cheese.{{cite news |last1=Klein |first1=Michael |title=Why cheesesteak connoisseurs melt over Cooper Sharp cheese |url=https://www.inquirer.com/food/restaurants/cooper-sharp-american-cheese-cheesesteaks-20231211.html |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=11 December 2023 |language=en}} According to Kosuke Chujo, who runs a cheesesteak shop in Japan, the cheese "was very creamy and delicious with the perfect balance of salt".{{cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Henry |title=Philly's unofficial Japanese cheesesteak ambassador reveals his favorite local cheesesteak |url=https://www.inquirer.com/food/kosuke-tomomi-chujo-tokyo-philly-cheesesteak-nihonbashi-20240131.html |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |language=en |date=31 January 2024}}

• A chicken cheesesteak is made with chicken instead of beef.{{cite web|url=http://www.phillyslargo.com/|title=Philly's Famous Cheesesteaks - Clearwater, FL|website=Philly's Famous Cheesesteaks}}
• A buffalo chicken cheesesteak is a chicken cheesesteak with buffalo sauce, and may contain bluecheese.{{cite web |title=Angelo's Pizzeria South Philly |url=https://angelospizzeriasouthphiladelphia.com/ |website=Angelo's Pizzeria |access-date=11 June 2024}}{{cite web |title=Chickie's & Pete's Menu |url=https://chickiesandpetes.com/airporttextmenu/ |website=Chickie’s & Pete’s |access-date=11 June 2024}}
• A mushroom cheesesteak is a cheesesteak with mushrooms.{{cite web|url=https://dalessandros.com/menu/|title=Dalessandros' Menu|website=Dalessandro's Steaks and Hoagies - Philadelphia PA}}{{cite web|url=https://www.genosteaks.com/menu/|title=Geno's Steaks Menu|website=Geno's Steaks}}
• A pepper cheesesteak is a cheesesteak with green bell peppers, hot cherry peppers, long hot peppers, or sweet peppers.
• A pizza steak is a cheesesteak topped with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese and may be toasted in a broiler.{{cite web |url=https://www.sonnyscheesesteaks.com/|title=Sonny's Famous Steaks, Old City, Philadelphia|website=Sonny's Famous Steaks}}
• A cheesesteak hoagie contains lettuce and tomato in addition to the ingredients found in the traditional steak sandwich, and may contain other elements often served in a hoagie.{{cite web|url=http://www.visitphilly.com/restaurants-dining/authentic-philly-cheesesteaks/ |title=Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks|website=Visit Philly}}
• A vegan cheesesteak is a sandwich that replaces steak and cheese with vegan ingredients, such as seitan or mushrooms for the steak, and soy-based cheese.{{cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/food/kitchen/20150409_Dinner_on_Deadline_Vegan_version_of_the_Philly_cheesesteak.html |title=Dinner on Deadline: Vegan version of the Philly Cheesesteak |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413114323/http://www.philly.com/philly/food/kitchen/20150409_Dinner_on_Deadline_Vegan_version_of_the_Philly_cheesesteak.html |archive-date=April 13, 2015 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/2016-Best-Vegan-Cheesesteak-in-Philly-contest.html |title=2016 Best Vegan Cheesesteak in Philly contest|date=March 2016 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.phillyvoice.com/6-restaurants-serving-great-vegan-cheesesteaks/ |title=Five Philadelphia restaurants serving great vegan cheesesteaks}}{{cite web |url=http://veganjawn.com/|title=A guide to vegan cheesesteaks and scrambles in philadelphia}}
• A steak milano is a cheesesteak containing grilled or fried tomatoes and oregano.{{cite web|url=http://www.johnsroastpork.com/menu-2/|title=John's Roast Pork Menu|website=John's Roast Pork}}
• The Heater is served at Phillies baseball games at Citizens Bank Park, so named for being a spicy variation as it is topped with jalapeños, Buffalo sauce, and jalapeño cheddar.{{Cite web|url=http://ballparkeguides.com/2017/01/13/three-citizens-bank-park-cheesesteaks-2/|title=Citizens Bank Park Cheesesteaks|date=2017-01-13|website=MLB Ballpark Guides|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-25}}{{Cite web|url=https://philly.eater.com/2012/4/5/6598901/what-to-eat-at-citizens-bank-park-home-of-the-phillies|title=What to Eat at Citizens Bank Park, Home of the Phillies|last=Flatt|first=Collin|date=2012-04-05|website=Eater Philly|access-date=2019-02-25}}
• A variation in Lahore uses masalas and Indo-Pak spices.

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{{Commons category|Cheesesteak}}

• [http://firstwefeast.com/features/2016/07/philly-cheesesteak-illustrated-history Illustrated History of the Philadelphia Cheesesteak] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003052151/https://firstwefeast.com/features/2016/07/philly-cheesesteak-illustrated-history |date=2020-10-03 }}

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