Cheesesteak Meal Kit: a taste of Philly in your kitchen

Earlier this year I posted about an Italian Beef Kit I got from Mauro Provisions, the butcher shop delivery service from Jeff Mauro of Food Network’s the Kitchen. Well I also got some shaved beef for cheesesteaks and finally got around to whipping up a batch. Sweet baby Jesus was it so damn good.

Fire up your Cast Iron

I fired up my cast iron skillet, tossed in some chopped onions and once they got darn golden, in cometh the beef. The beef you get from Mauro Provisions is shaved ribeye. In the past I have taken eye of round, tossed it in the freezer for a bit and then sliced it thin for cheesesteaks.

While a fairly economical solution, it’s bit of work and the fat content is minimal. The cheesesteak beef you get here is far more marbled and toothsome. Look, you get what you pay for.

White American cheese is the move

I had a couple slices of white American cheese and tossed them on top of the beef once it was pretty much done. That stuff turned to delicious gooey goodness in seconds. I had some brioche rolls and tossed them in for a toast.

Of course using a proper hoagie roll would have made it a far more authentic experience but you know what? Cheesesteak still tastes good on a variety of breads. Besides, brioche is buttery delish and always serves as a fine carby compliment to a beef sandwich.

Unorthodox toppings? Yes please.

In addition to some Giardiniera I got from Mauro Provisions I also added some top shelf pickled jalapeños from legendary Austin BBQ joint La Barbecue. Yes these toppings are whole unorthodox but serve as excellent compliments to the rich beef, cheese and brioche. Acidity and spice plus fat makes for excellent mouth feels.

Shameless plug or delicious truth?

I realize this might seem like a full on plug for Jeff and Mauro Provisions but the truth is A) the products are damn delicious) and B) me and this bozo go way back for a reason. I knew the Italian Beef kit would be a ringer but the Cheesesteak is kinda genius. Unless you’re in Philly, cheesesteaks tend to be disappointing or kinda pricey. With pre shaved beef it’s really easy to make. If you can sauté onions, you can make this.

And as blasphemous as this sounds: cheesesteaks are better with giardiniera. Yup, I went there. I gotta go now though, I’m sure there are some Eagles fans at my door that wanna pummel me. Sometimes delivering delicious truth can be a burden.