Many dishes have been considered untouchable regarding their ingredients and cooking methods. Yet some meals can be enhanced with a slight variation here and there. A Philly Cheesesteak, a beloved sandwich from Pennsylvania, is made in a very authentic way for the most part with only ingredients used in the original recipes.
However, the Philly Cheesesteak only gets better the more you customize it. Replace the beef with lamb, and swap the hoagie roll for some brioche. Even if it means going against the die-hard fans of the original Philly cheesesteak, make it your own.
Table of Contents
- What is a Philly Cheesesteak?
- Can Lamb be used instead of Ribeye in a Philly Cheesesteak?
- Is a Lamb Philly Cheesesteak Better?
- FAQs
What is a Philly Cheesesteak?
A Philly cheesesteak is a sandwich that originates in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is essentially a sandwich using a hoagie roll as the bread with the main filling being shredded and thinly sliced ribeye steak. It is then topped with melted cheese and provolone slices.
Alongside the main ingredients, various spices can be used in order to enhance the flavor of the cheesesteak. These can include a whole range of different flavorings but for the most part salt and pepper will be used.
Can Lamb be used instead of Ribeye in a Philly Cheesesteak?
As previously mentioned, there are a lot of dishes that should not be altered. Thankfully the Philly cheesesteak is not one.
If you are not a fan of beef, or just want to try something new, it can be mouth-wateringly good to try this recipe with your own personal touches.
Firstly, you can definitely use lamb in this. It will still taste amazing and all of the other ingredients will go well with the lamb. You might have some arguments from other fans of the sandwich if you make it with different meat, but other than this it will turn out perfectly.
Preparing and Cooking Lamb
If you are looking to turn your Philly cheesesteak into a Philly cheese-lamb, you will still be wanting it to have generally the same texture and mouthfeel. Therefore, the lamb will need to be cooked and sliced quite similarly to how the steak was.
In a cheesesteak, the steak is usually grilled or pan-fried before being cut up and sliced. To keep the lamb as close as possible to the initial recipe, a lamb leg steak should be used. It can be cooked in the same way as a ribeye and will also have a similar ratio of meat-to-fat.
The lamb steaks should be cooked in the same conditions you cook a steak, just for longer. This means you will need to oil a pan over high heat and wait until the oil is incredibly hot. When you place your lamb in the pan you should be able to hear it sizzle, if you cannot then the heat is too low.
Once the lamb is cooking away, you can add extra butter and seasonings to the pan. My go-to additives are thyme and garlic alongside salt and pepper. Cook your lamb for roughly 7 minutes on each side to ensure it is properly cooked in the middle.
Now that your lamb is cooked, remove it from the pan and let it sit for a couple of minutes. This will keep the meat moist as the steak will reabsorb all of the moisture that was being drawn out of it.
After it has rested, carefully trim off the fat cap and any other long streaks of fat. Some people do this before cooking but the meat is much nicer once the fat properly renders. When you have removed the last of the large fat deposits, it is time to slice the steak as thinly as you can.
Keeping in line with the texture of the ribeye usually used, thinly slicing the lamb steak will keep us as close to authenticity as possible. When the lamb is thinly sliced and ready to go, it can be placed on your bread and the rest of the cheesesteak can be assembled. All you need to add is provolone cheese slices and salt, pepper, and diced onions. If you are using a hoagie roll you might want to consider lightly toasting it and applying a small amount of olive oil to it. All in all, you now have one tasty sandwich.
Is a Lamb Philly Cheesesteak Better?
While it may seem a bit of a dull answer, I cannot accurately tell you the answer to this. The differences between a Philly cheesesteak and its lamb counterpart are limited and there are not lots to discuss. If you are not the biggest fan of beef then the chances are that you will enjoy lamb more.
Despite this, you don’t even need to be against beef to enjoy this. You can love both types of meat. But sometimes it is just nice to mix it up a little and try some lamb alongside your provolone cheese slices instead of thinly sliced ribeye steaks. The lamb steak will have quite a different taste from the ribeye. But it is not so different that it seems out of place among the rest of the ingredients.
Regardless of if you like beef or not, it is absolutely worth trying to follow a lamb Philly cheesesteak recipe. Make one for yourself! If that isn’t quite enough, you might be searching for the best side dishes to serve with your lamb Philly cheesesteak.
FAQs
What meat is used for Philly cheese steak?
Typically, the meat in a Philly cheesesteak will be thinly sliced ribeye steak. The cut of steak may differ depending on where you go but the most authentic places will use ribeye for its flavor and texture.
What kind of meat is best for Philly cheesesteak?
The kind of meat that is best for a Philly cheesesteak is entirely dependent upon your preferences. Although, some meat such as chicken will probably not work as well in this. The most popular choices are either beef steaks, more specifically ribeye, or lamb steaks.
