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When it comes to a Cheesesteak Sandwich, you can’t help but think of the Philly style with a soft roll, cheese wiz, and Beef. But for this recipe, we’re adding our own Northwest twist using tender thinly sliced grilled Sirloin, a from-scratch cheddar cheese sauce, mixed grilled veggies, and a soft and toasted roll. This sandwich is absolutely incredible.

This recipe and video is sponsored by the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. on behalf of the Beef Checkoff. All opinions are our own.

When craving a sandwich, we love to go big. Big cuts of Beef, big flavors, and a balance of each of the ingredients so no one thing overtakes the other. And this cheesesteak sandwich has all of it, and more. And while we love a good Philly version, this Beef sandwich is meant to be more of a twist on a classic. We’re changing it up.

The Cut – Sirloin

Sirloin is our go-to cut for this particular sandwich. Specifically we are using a portion of the Sirloin that we love to use, the Coulotte (pronounced COO-lot in the U.S.). This roast has a distinct fat cap that makes grilling the perfect option. It’s also well marbled and tender, which are additional characteristics for a perfectly grilled steak roast. By using the whole roast, versus a single steak, it makes it easy to slice when making the sandwiches. The typical roast will average 2 pounds.

It’s also a more affordable cut than using a Strip or Ribeye, which is the classic cut used (but again we’re not making a classic style). Although, either of those make a great sandwich too.

If Coulotte (also called Picanha) isn’t available alternative Sirloin Beef cuts include:

• Top Sirloin Steak – Not as easy to thinly slice, but just as delicious.
• Bavette Steak – It may look like a flank, but it isn’t.
• Tri Tip – You can’t go wrong with this flavorful and tender cut.

Butchers Note – Call ahead to your local butcher and confirm that they have it. They can also cut it out of the larger Sirloin primal (or larger cut) before you get there. It’s worth it.

Preparation

The roast will benefit from scoring, or to slice X marks into the fat cap to allow it to render while grilling and also get some of the dry rub into the meat. Using a sharp filet or boning knife, slice lines along the fat cap in an X pattern about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. It’s unlikely you will need to trim anything else off of the meat.

For the remainder of the ingredients, slice the veggies and prep sauce ingredients and set aside for the sauce and the grilled veggies.

Seasoning

After trimming coat the Coulotte Roast with extra virgin olive oil. This will help the seasoning stick to the meat.

A cheesesteak sandwich can easily get drowned out by the cheese sauce. But it’s just as important to let the Beefy flavor shine. To augment that, use a simple Beef seasoning of kosher salt, granulated garlic, and coarse black pepper in equal parts. Liberally coat the roast, plan 1/4 cup for a typical Coulotte.

Grilling

The magic to this cheesesteak sandwich is the added earthy flavors that comes from grilling. The best method is to preheat the grill use a two-zone grilling method where the heat is on one side, and the other side is indirect heat. Target 450 – 500 degrees Fahrenheit (F) in the cooking chamber.

1. Place the seasoned roast over direct heat, close cover, and grill for five minutes. The goal is to sear the outside for a nice flavor crust. Then flip the roast and grill direct for an additional 5 minutes (covered). The goal is to get a sear on the other side as well.
2. After the direct grilling, move the roast to the indirect side, close cover, and continue cooking until an instant read thermometer in the thickest portion of the steak reads 140 degrees F for medium rare.
3. Rest the Coulotte Roast for 10 minutes to allow for carry overcooking occur. The internal temperature of the roast will rise another 5 degrees bringing it to 145 degrees F.
4. Slice thinly with a sharp carving or chef knife against the grains. This is important to keep the beef tender. You will see the lines on the steak, cut perpendicular to them at a 45-degree angle.

The Vegetables

The go-to trio of this sandwich is sautéed cremini mushrooms, sweet onions, green bell pepper, and finished with some spicy pickled peppers.

1. Start with cast iron or similar pan over medium heat with olive oil. Then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until they are browned (about 8 – 10 minutes). Try not to move the mushrooms too often to let the browning occur. Then remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
2. Next, add more oil, onions, and the bell pepper. Sauté until soft (about 8 – 10 minutes) and set aside to add to the sandwich.

We just combine the mushroom, pepper, and onion mix together when they are done in a bowl but find some people don’t like mushrooms. So setting them aside makes it easier when people build their own jam packed cheesesteak sandwich.

Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Instead of using a store-bought processed cheese, we opt for a homemade version. The key step to this cheese sauce is making a roux to get a creamy consistency. Make the sauce just as you finish the peppers and pull the beef off the grill. You can also make ahead and warm up prior to making the sandwich.

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, add butter and let the butter melt. Add the flour and start to whisk. The butter and flour mix will slightly bubble as it is whisked. Do this for two minutes and then add the liquids.
2. Add the whole milk and continue to stir to incorporate the roux and the milk. Be sure to whisk vigorously to avoid the roux from clumping. Bring to a slight simmer and continue whisking until the milk thickens slightly (about 4 minutes).
3. Add the crème fraiche, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and pepper and stir for 2 minutes to incorporate. It will continue to thicken.
4. Turn off the heat, add the shredded cheddar cheese, and continue to stir. The cheese will melt and the sauce will start to turn a slight yellow color.

If made in advance, simply place the cheese in a saucepan, turn the heat on low and then stir occasionally until it’s warm with a slightly thin texture.

Building the Sandwich

Now all that work is about to pay off. The sandwich bread should be hoagie or some other type of soft bread.

1. Slightly toast both sides of the bread on the grill over direct heat. Alternatively, you can heat up a skillet with butter and toast the bread directly on the skillet to get slightly toasty and buttery.
2. Add a layer of Beef, then the vegetables, then the creamy cheese sauce. Finally add some pickled hot peppers and it’s ready to eat.

This Beefy cheesesteak sandwich is messy, be sure you have plenty of napkins.

Other Inspiring Recipes

We have an entire library of Beef recipes here on Vindulge, and an entire chapter in our cookbook Fire + Wine. But here are a few more to get you excited about getting out and grilling or smoking some beef.

• Smoked Pulled Beef Sandwich
• Grilled Beef Flanken Ribs
• T-Bone Steak Grilled
• Grilled Sirloin Steak with Herb Compound Butter
• Red Wine Braised Grilled Steak Bites