VENISON PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS

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Annie Weisz with Peak to Plate

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Who doesn’t love a good sandwich? This Philly cheesesteak only takes a few simple ingredients and comes together pretty quickly once the meat is sliced. This recipe is a great use for roasts if you still have some sitting in your freezer!

WHAT CUT OF MEAT DO I USE FOR A PHILLY CHEESESTEAK?

Thinly sliced ribeye steak is the traditional meat for Philly cheesesteaks. The venison equivalent of the ribeye is the backstrap or loin but you can use just about any cut of meat if you slice it thin enough. Ribeyes are prized for their marbling but venison doesn’t have much, if any, fat. But, you can cook the meat in lard to enhance the meat with some fatty richness.

HOW DO I CUT MEAT FOR A PHILLY CHEESESTEAK? 

In order to get paper thin slices of meat, you need 2 things: a sharp knife and a mostly frozen piece of meat. The meat is much easier to slice thinly when it’s still frozen. It’s super important to slice the meat as thin as you can for this recipe. Otherwise, it could be a little tough to bite through depending on the cut of meat you used. Once the meat is sliced thinly, thaw it the rest of the way on a paper towel-lined sheet pan in the fridge. This helps remove any off flavors in the meat and will also help brown the meat better.

SEASONING MEAT FOR PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS:

The seasoning for the steak is pretty simple – salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire sauce is an excellent to season wild game. It’s a great addition to burgers, meatloaf, broths, cheesesteaks, etc. Worcestershire sauce is made up of all sorts of flavors – onions, garlic, vinegar, and anchovies are some of the main flavors. They all come together for a flavor packed sauce that’s sure to take your cheesesteak to the next level.

PHILLY CHEESESTEAK VEGETABLES:

Philly cheesesteaks can have a variety of vegetables in them like bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, hot peppers, etc. This recipe uses a combination of red and yellow bell peppers and yellow onions. The variety of vegetables adds a nice color contrast to the sandwich. The vegetables also get sauteed in a little bit of lard and season them with salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce to complement the steak.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

No Philly Cheesesteak would be complete without, you guessed it, cheese. The type of cheese you use on a Philly Cheesesteak is a big point of controversy. You’re either on the provolone side or the Cheez Whiz side. This recipe uses provolone but you can certainly try out Cheez Whiz if you’d like. With a lean meat like venison, it can be difficult to not overcook the meat and still have that perfectly gooey melted cheese. If you add the cheese right after you mix in the worcestershire sauce, the meat can finish cooking and the cheese can melt at the same time. Layer the vegetables and cheesy meat on a toasted hoagie roll and top with spicy brown mustard. The mustard is optional but adds a little kick to the sandwich. Serve with some tater tots and your favorite beer and dig in!

VENISON PHILLY CHEESESTEAK RECIPE:

This classic Philly Cheesesteak recipe is a great way to use venison roasts. Topped with gooey provolone cheese, you can't go wrong here!

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Equipment

• Cast iron griddle

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ lbs venison sirloin roast
• 1 Red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 Yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 Medium onion, cut in half, then sliced
• 3 Tbsp lard, divided
• 5 Tbsp worcestershire sauce, divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 Hoagie rolls
• Butter (optional)
• 8 Sices provolone cheese
• Spicy brown mustard (optional)

Instructions

1. Allow roast to thaw slightly under refrigeration. You want it to be mostly frozen but soft enough to cut through. Slice meat paper thin against the grain. Place slices of meat on a paper towel-lined sheet pan in a single layer. Cover and refrigerate until fully thawed.
2. Heat cast iron griddle over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp lard to pan and spread it around so it coats the whole pan. Add peppers and onions and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook vegetables, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until softened and starting to brown. Add 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and stir to coat vegetables. Cook 1 more minute. Remove from pan and set aside. Keep warm until ready to use.
4. Butter insides of hoagie rolls if desired. Place on hot griddle, with the inside facing down, and toast for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
5. Just before cooking, season meat slices with salt and pepper. Add 2 tbsp lard to the hot griddle and spread it around. Add meat slices in a single layer to the griddle. You will probably have to cook it in 2 batches.
6. Cook meat 1-2 minutes per side. Once meat is almost done cooking, move it all into a pile on the griddle and add 1 ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce (3 tbsp if you were able to fit all the meat on the griddle).
7. Move meat into 4 even piles on the griddle. Top each pile with 2 slices provolone cheese. Continue cooking until melted, about 2 minutes.
8. To each hoagie roll, add peppers and onions, and top with meat and cheese. Serve with spicy brown mustard if desired. Enjoy!