Roll for Philly Cheesesteak
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Yes....the family of roll is the "hoagie" roll. However, the exact roll used in Philly is called an "Amoroso roll", which is similar to a Hoagie roll, slightly salted, thinner and longer produced by the Amoroso Baking Co. Yes, they do ship their products. :-D
If you are not in Philly, any good Hoagie will suffice.
Cheers.
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There are a lot of people that swear by the Amaroso brand hoagie (sub) roll. I find that most cheesesteak places in Philly do not use that brand, but it is very close and commercially available so it is the go to roll. Basically, it is an Italian white hoagie roll that has a softer crust.
From Original Philly Cheesesteak 101:
"The most common characteristic of a cheesesteak roll is that it is light, crisp but not overly crunchy on the outside and soft, tender but not overly chewy on the inside.
Rolls should be long, uniform and slender, but not skinny. The ends should be rounded, and not pointy -- like the wider side of an egg so that the steak fills the roll evenly and every bite will yield the same bread to meat ratio. Some operators will slice off the ends of their rolls to guarantee a perfect ratio."
People say the bread makes it, but I lean toward technique. After cooking and chopping steak and onions on flattop, you arrange it in shape of roll. Then you put cheese on top of that and put the sliced roll over the meat and cheese on the flat top and press down a little so the grease from the meat creates a slight crispness to the edge of the roll. Flip over with a long spatula.
From Original Philly Cheesesteak 101:
"The most common characteristic of a cheesesteak roll is that it is light, crisp but not overly crunchy on the outside and soft, tender but not overly chewy on the inside.
Rolls should be long, uniform and slender, but not skinny. The ends should be rounded, and not pointy -- like the wider side of an egg so that the steak fills the roll evenly and every bite will yield the same bread to meat ratio. Some operators will slice off the ends of their rolls to guarantee a perfect ratio."
People say the bread makes it, but I lean toward technique. After cooking and chopping steak and onions on flattop, you arrange it in shape of roll. Then you put cheese on top of that and put the sliced roll over the meat and cheese on the flat top and press down a little so the grease from the meat creates a slight crispness to the edge of the roll. Flip over with a long spatula.
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So @planethoff the cheese ends up underneath the meat? I didn't know that!
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Maybe a LONG time ago. My mom used to work in Bala Cynwyd, but I don't specifically remember that place. My favorite growing up was Mama Nuccios in Somerdale, NJ. It has been a long time since I've been up there.
The one place I am curious to try is Donkey's in Camden, NJ. Anthony Bourdain said that it was the best cheesesteak anywhere. A bunch of my friends that are still up in that area rave about the place.
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Errr, ummm... poppy seed bulkie roll???? Tony must have been intoxicated.
But it looks like a great neighborhood dive!
Tony would have loved Mama's cheesesteak but would have left unhappy unless he brought his own booze. I think (but not absolutely sure) that they are "dry"...
Mama's:
https://yelp.to/qTKq/cBLwqry5RZ
But it looks like a great neighborhood dive!
Tony would have loved Mama's cheesesteak but would have left unhappy unless he brought his own booze. I think (but not absolutely sure) that they are "dry"...
Mama's:
https://yelp.to/qTKq/cBLwqry5RZ
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OK, just got back from Philly. Cheesesteaks? Not rocket surgery like @Iceman says. The meats aren't even seasoned as they go on the flat top. I got mine with onions and provolone. Topped it with relish. Had to add a bit of salt and pepper. But seriously, I don't see the big circus around Philly Cheesesteaks.
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You were unimpressed because you had a garbage cheesesteak made for tourists. You have to go to one of the mom & pop Italian pizza places for the real ones. Almost no one that lives there eats at Pat's or Geno's. Sorry, I didn't clarify earlier.
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I will go back. You mark my words!
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I love this kind of conversation, and I'm sure Calvin Trillin would be thrilled to know that this kind of thing still goes on. You guys are (as we say in my part of the world) wicked awesome.
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I am all for that. And when you do, I will hit up my friends that are still there for the best place to go.
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John's are really, really good. As is the roast pork sandwich, and the roast pork sandwich from Dinic's. To me, these are better than Philly Cheesesteak. The absolute best Philly Cheesesteak I ever stuffed in my gob was from Mama's Pizzeria in Bala Cynwyd.
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