Cheez Whiz is what makes an excellent cheese steak

Tag : Minced Garlic Vs Fresh Garlic
More than 70 years after its inception, a debate rages over whatmakes a great cheese steak. Some swear by cheese, while othersdemand Cheez Whiz, the topping used at Pat's King of Steaks, homeof the first cheese steak. Others debate the merits of soft vs.crusty Italian rolls. Then there is the issue of whether to dousethe meat with tomato sauce or leave it unadorned.
Carol Ritter, nurse manager at Overbrook Friedlander Programs inPhiladelphia, votes in favor of Cheez Whiz. "Although most peoplesay the bread is what makes it, my opinion is that Cheez Whiz iswhat makes an excellent cheese steak. That and having enough cheeseand fried onions," she says.
Competitive mountain bike racer and veterinarian Dr. MichaelYarnall of Boyertown, Penn., sides with the sauce, hard roll andCheez Whiz fans. For him, a good cheese steak also featureshigh-quality, thinly sliced steak. "The meat should be juicy, notchewy, with the juices running down your arm," he says.
While the cheese steak controversy continues, no one disputes theingredients of a lobster roll. With cooked chunks of lobster meatmixed with mayonnaise and spooned into a toasted hot dog bun, it isquintessential New England cuisine.
The origins of the lobster roll remain a mystery. Some conjecturethat it evolved from the lobster salad and the desire to eat thisdish by hand. Others attribute it to the 20th-century creation ofthe hot dog bun and attempts to try different fare on this new typeof bread.
Closely associated with the state of Maine, lobster rolls pop upeverywhere from upscale restaurants to roadside shacks. I firstsampled one of these succulent sandwiches at the humble butbustling Red's Eats in the sleepy, Mid Coast Maine town ofWiscasset.
The lobster roll season at Red's Eats, which has been in businessfor 71 years, runs from mid-April to mid-October. During those sixmonths, the stand sells 7 1/2 tons of fresh lobster meat, saysDebbie Cronk, restaurant manager and daughter of Red's Eats ownerAlan Gagnon.
"We don't measure the meat," she says. "We just pile it on."
As for the immense popularity of her family's specialty, sheexplains: "My father always says that there's no secret. You justmake sure that the food is fresh and that there's plenty of it."
She likewise points out that with lobster rolls, diners don't haveto fuss with shells. The best part of the lobster is convenientlyplaced on a bun.
Unlike the filling-specific creations of the East, the Louisianapo' boy slips items such as fried shrimp dressed with iceberglettuce, sliced tomatoes and mayonnaise, or French fries drenchedin gravy, into the opening of a French baguette or submarine roll.The official oversized sandwich of New Orleans, the po' boy alsowas created there.
As with the lobster roll, the exact beginnings of the po' boy varyfrom source to source. Two tales prevail, though.
In the first, a 19th-century French Market coffee stand owner,Madame Begue, gave away sandwiches made from French baguettes topenniless, New Orleans children. Her food was "for a poor boy."Thus, how the name po' boy came to be.
The second story involves the New Orleans streetcar strike of 1929.In those hard times, two former streetcar workers, Bennie andClovis Martin, handed out free food to any striking laborer or"poor boy" who stumbled upon their French Market restaurant.
While the first po' boy featured potatoes and brown gravy, today'spopular offerings include the aforementioned shrimp, fried oystersor hot roast beef with gravy.
The mark of a good po' boy? "The more napkins required, the betterthe po' boy," says Mike Malloy, a New Orleans resident, real estateagent and bartender at the Kerry Irish Pub.
Malloy adds, "An authentic po' boy should have a crunchy but thincrust and be soft in the middle ... which means real po' boysshould leave crumbs."
In the West, the aptly named Western -- or Denver -- sandwich needsneither napkin nor crumb tray. This simple meal consists of anomelet served on a tender roll. No juices oozing or crumbscascading onto my plate, but a good Western still makes my night.
Folklore indicates that Chinese immigrants whipped up this repastfor laborers on the transcontinental railroad. They cookedtraditional Oriental omelets from the eggs, meat and vegetables onhand -- diced ham, green peppers and onions -- and then slappedthem on rolls for a filling snack.
Thanks to the plethora of regional foods-on-a-roll, my dread ofanother hot dog dinner is gone. From cheese steaks to po' boys, Ihave countless creative fillings for those hot dog buns. Philadelphia Cheese Steak
" 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
" 1 large white onion, sliced
" Salt
" 8 ounces Cheez Whiz or { 1/2} pound Provolone cheese, thinlysliced
" 1 pound rib-eye steak, thinly sliced
" 4 crusty hoagie or Italian rolls
" Ketchup, optional
" Mayonnaise, optional
" Tomato sauce, optional
In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over mediumheat. Add the onions and a dash of salt. Saute until the onions aresoft but not browned or translucent. Remove the onions and set themaside.
If using Cheez Whiz, pour the processed spread into amicrowave-safe bowl and heat until melted. Set aside.
Pour the remaining olive oil into the pan and heat on medium high.Add the steak and cook on both sides. Reduce the temperature. Ifusing Provolone or other cheese, lay the cheese slices over themeat, cover the pan with a lid, and allow the cheese to melt, for 1to 2 minutes.
Using a spatula, remove the meat or meat and cheese and place itinside the roll. Add the onions. If opting for Cheez Whiz, pour theCheez Whiz over the top of the meat and onions. Top with optionalcondiments and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings. Maine Lobster Roll
" 2 cups cooked lobster meat, cut into small chunks (see note )
" 1 teaspoon lemon juice
" 1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
" 2 green onions, minced
" 1/4 cup celery, minced
" Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
" 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
" 4 hot dog rolls
Toss the lobster with the lemon juice in a bowl. Add 1/2 cupmayonnaise, the green onions and the celery, and stir to combine,adding the remaining mayonnaise if necessary. The salad should bemoist but the flavor should not be overwhelmed by mayo. Season withsalt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Spread the softenedbutter on the rolls and place the rolls, butter-side down, in thepan. Cook, turning once, until the rolls are golden brown. Removefrom the pan, open the rolls and spoon in the lobster salad. Serveimmediately.
Note: Either buy cooked lobster meat or steam two 1 1/2-pound lobstersand remove the meat.
Makes 4 servings. Classic Deep-Fried Shrimp Po' Boy
This recipe is adapted from Chef John D. Folse's "The Encyclopediaof Cajun and Creole Cuisine" (Chef John Folse and Co. Publishing,2006).
" Vegetable oil, to fill deep fryer
" 6 half-baguettes or submarine rolls
" 1 large egg, beaten
" 1 cup milk
" 1 cup water
" 2 tablespoons Creole mustard
" 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
" 1 teaspoon salt
" 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
" 3 cups yellow corn flour
" 2 tablespoons garlic powder
" 3 dozen (70-90 count) shrimp
" 6 tablespoons cocktail sauce
" 6 tablespoons ketchup
" 18 thin slices of tomato
" 2 cups shredded lettuce
" Dash of Tabasco sauce, optional
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Using a home-style deep fryer such as a FryDaddy, heat therecommended amount of oil according to the manufacture'sinstructions.
Slice the rolls lengthwise and place them on a cookie sheet, crustdown. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, milk, water, mustards, salt andpepper. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the corn flour andgarlic powder. Set aside.
Place the rolls in the oven, turn off the heat, and allow them tobecome crispy and warm.
Dip the shrimp, 6 at a time, in the egg batter and then in the cornflour mixture. Fry the shrimp in 2 to 3 batches for 3 minutes oruntil they float. Skim them off, place them on paper towels toabsorb the excess oil, and then cover to keep them warm. Repeatthis process until all the shrimp are fried.
Remove the rolls from the oven. For each roll, spread cocktailsauce on one interior half and ketchup on the other. Place 3 slicesof tomato on the bottom half of each and sprinkle with shreddedlettuce. Place the shrimp on top of the lettuce. Splash on a dashof Tabasco sauce, if desired. Cover with the top half of the rolland secure with a toothpick. Slice the sandwich in half and serveimmediately.
Makes 6 servings. Western Sandwich
" 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
" 3 tablespoons cooked ham, chopped into small pieces
" 2 tablespoons yellow onion, minced
" 3 tablespoons green peppers, minced
" 2 extra-large eggs, beaten
" 2 wheat rolls
" Ketchup, optional
Melt the butter in a small, non-stick frying or omelet pan overmedium heat.
Add the ham, onion and peppers to the eggs, and pour the mixtureinto the pan. Cook until eggs start to bubble and look glossy butnot dry. Flip onto the other side and cook for 1 to 2 minutes oruntil that side begins to brown slightly.
Turn off the heat. Using a plastic spatula, cut the omelet in half.Fold each half in half and place inside the rolls. Serve withketchup, if desired.
Makes 2 servings.