Pork Cheesesteak
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Invented in Philadelphia in the 1930’s, the cheesesteak sandwich has become one of the region’s most iconic foods. While I’ve never been fortunate enough to have an authentic Philly Cheesesteak made fresh in the City of Brotherly Love, I never miss an opportunity to have a sandwich with lots of meat and cheese.
Cheesesteaks are traditionally made with beef and provolone but I changed this one up because well, I didn’t have beef or provolone. And to tell you the truth, I’m pretty lazy in the evenings. After I get home from a day at work and shower, the five minute drive to the store can seem like hiking the Appalachian Trail. So, I improvised. Some sautéed pork and peppers, a little cheddar sauce, a slice or two of smoked gouda, and we’re in business.
Laziness and tradition aside, this sandwich is super yummy. All the flavors go together perfectly. The best part? It’s super easy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork shoulder sliced as thin as possible
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 bell pepper sliced
- 1 red jalapeno sliced (If you want a little more spice…if not, omit this pepper.)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 pound smoked Gouda cheese sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
- 6 Hoagie rolls or French baguette (To make your own French Bread, check out my recipe here.)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Season pork with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a stock pot on medium high heat. Add pork in batches and brown on both sides.
Remove pork with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate leaving as much juice as possible in the pot.
When all pork is browned, add onions and peppers to the pot. Cook until browned (about five minutes).
Add pork back to the pot and stir pork and peppers together.
Add chicken stock and scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
Cover and simmer until pork is tender. Depending on how thick your slices are this could be anywhere from five to ten minutes. While your pork is simmering, make your cheese sauce.
Add heavy cream and cheese to a saucepan and heat on low until thickened. Keep warm but don’t burn.
Spread room temperature butter on roll or baguette and top with smoked Gouda.
Bake in oven until bread is lightly toasted and cheese is melted.
Add pork and peppers to the sandwich and then top with cheese sauce. Add au jus from pan to a little dipping bowl and have a field day.
