Thinly sliced ribeye, sweet onions and silky cheddar in a warm, crusty roll

Some sandwiches are designed to be eaten neatly. A Philly cheesesteak is not one of them.

This is a sandwich that demands both hands, a generous appetite and absolutely no concern for the occasional drip of melted cheese.

Born in Philadelphia and now beloved far beyond Pennsylvania, the cheesesteak is built around a wonderfully simple combination: thinly sliced beef, slowly softened onions and plenty of melted cheese, all tucked into a warm bread roll.

Our version takes that classic combination and gives it a slightly more refined finish. Ribeye provides rich, tender slices of beef, the onions are cooked slowly until sweet and golden, and a silky mature Cheddar sauce brings everything together.

The result is indulgent, deeply savoury and gloriously messy — exactly what a great steak sandwich should be.

The recipe

Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15–20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 soft crusty bread rolls, preferably long Italian-style rolls or ciabatta
• 200 g ribeye steak, sliced very thinly
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 150 g mature Cheddar, freshly grated
• 100 ml double cream
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Start with the onions

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over low to medium heat.

Add the sliced onions and season with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook slowly for around 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, golden and naturally sweet.

This is worth doing slowly. The sweetness of the onions provides an important contrast to the rich beef and cheese.

2. Make the Cheddar sauce

Place the grated Cheddar in a small saucepan over low heat.

Allow it to melt gently, then gradually add the double cream, stirring continuously until you have a thick, smooth and glossy cheese sauce.

Keep the heat low. The sauce should be creamy and spoonable rather than boiling.

3. Cook the ribeye

For beautifully thin slices, place the ribeye in the freezer for around 30–45 minutes before slicing. This firms the meat sufficiently to make very thin cuts easier.

Heat a large frying pan until very hot. Add the remaining butter and the oil.

Add the sliced ribeye in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Cook quickly over high heat, turning the meat as it browns.

Because the slices are so thin, they need very little cooking time. The goal is deeply browned edges and juicy meat, not well-done steak.

Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Bring it all together

Warm the bread rolls briefly in the oven or in the same pan.

Spoon a generous amount of the warm Cheddar sauce into each roll. Add the caramelised onions, followed by the hot ribeye.

Finish with another spoonful of cheese sauce.

Serve immediately.

The secret to a great cheesesteak

The most important detail is the steak.

Ribeye is particularly well suited because its natural marbling keeps the meat juicy during the very short cooking time. Ask your butcher to slice it as thinly as possible, or firm it in the freezer first and slice it yourself with a very sharp knife.

And don’t overcrowd the pan.

A properly hot pan gives the beef those delicious browned edges. If too much meat goes into the pan at once, the temperature drops and the steak starts to steam rather than sear.

Hot pan. Thin slices. Short cooking time.

That is the secret.

Choosing the right bread

The bread needs to be soft enough to bite through easily, but sturdy enough to hold the generous filling.

A long Italian-style roll is ideal, while a good-quality ciabatta makes a slightly more rustic alternative.

Warm it just before assembling the sandwich. A lightly crisp exterior with a soft interior is the perfect contrast to the juicy steak and creamy cheese.

A little La Dolce Vita twist

The classic cheesesteak is already wonderfully indulgent, so there is no need to complicate it too much.

For an elevated version, finish the sandwich with a few very thin slices of pickled jalapeño or a touch of hot sauce. The acidity and heat cut beautifully through the richness.

Or keep it completely classic and serve it with crisp fries, a simple green salad and an ice-cold drink.

This is not delicate food.

It is generous, comforting and unapologetically satisfying.

Sometimes, that’s exactly what lunch should be.

Buon appetito — or, perhaps more appropriately, enjoy every gloriously messy bite.