This authentic-style Philly cheesesteak is made with shaved ribeye steak, white American cheese, simple seasonings, and the star of the show – long hot peppers. The Italian long hots are roasted to perfection and added to the sandwich for a fantastic cheesesteak that you’ll want to make again and again!
I just finished devouring half of this long hot peppers cheesesteak (the wife ate the other half), and I had to sit down and immediately tell you about it. Inspired by a trip to Philadelphia’s legendary Angelo’s, this cheesesteak sandwich was perfection. The creamy Cooper Sharp American cheese, the homemade hoagie roll with sesame seeds, the simply seasoned steak, and the mildly spicy long hots. I think I cried when I finished the last bite.
And even my wife, who is spice-adverse and was skeptical about this rendition, ditched her low-carb diet for the night to demolish half my sandwich. And that’s a true testimony to how good it is.
If you’re new to cheesesteaks on the flat top, check out our other popular recipes: Blackstone Philly Cheesesteaks and Italian Cheesesteak on the Griddle. This long hots version might just become your new favorite.
Simple ingredients done right — that’s the whole philosophy.
What are Long Hots?
Italian long hot peppers (also called Italian frying peppers or long hots) are long, thin and curvy peppers that are milder than jalapeños with a slightly sweet, smoky flavor when roasted. They have a very thin, tender skin and are easy to work with. Look for them at Publix, Whole Foods, or your local Italian market.
Ingredient Notes
- Ribeye steak. Ribeye is the move here. Leaner cuts just don’t have the right fat ratio that you need to soak into the bread. In the past, we have always sliced our own ribeyes thin, but for this version we used pre-shaved ribeye. It was great, and a convenient substitute if you don’t want to fiddle with slicing your own steak. Pre-shaved from the store is thinner and leaner, which means it cooks fast. Don’t over-work it on the griddle.
- Cooper Sharp American. This is the authentic Philly choice — not cheddar, not Provolone. It melts creamy and rich. Find it at specialty grocery stores or call your local stores to see if they carry it. I found it at a Food Lion.
- Long hots. Italian long hot peppers are milder than jalapeños with a thin, tender skin. Publix and most grocery stores carry them. They add flavor more than fire.
- Hoagie rolls. A good roll makes or breaks a cheesesteak. We make our own homemade hoagie rolls for our griddle sandwiches. If substituting, use a soft twin French loaf — you want a slight chew without a jaw-breaking crust.
How to Make Cheesesteaks with Roasted Long Hots
Step 1: Roast the Long Hots
Toss the long hots in a light coating of neutral oil and a pinch of salt. Roast them over medium-high heat — on a grill, in the oven on broil, or on a high-heat appliance like the Bighorn infrared grill — turning occasionally until the skins blister and char and the flesh turns soft and tender, about 8-10 minutes. Once done, cover with foil and let them steam for 5 minutes. This makes the skins easy to peel and deepens the flavor.
Slice some of the roasted long hots into small pieces to mix directly into the cheesesteak meat. Leave the rest whole to layer on top. Remove excess seeds and pith if you want to dial back the heat.
Step 2: Cook the Onions
Heat your griddle, flat top grill, or a skillet to medium-low. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and let it melt. Add the diced onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent — about 8–10 minutes. Low and slow is the key. You want sweet, soft onions, not brown or crispy ones.
Step 3: Cook the Shaved Ribeye
While the onions are cooking, add the shaved ribeye to the griddle in a separate area. Keep the heat on low — you’re not trying to sear or brown this meat. Gently separate and move the beef around. Because it’s shaved so thin, it cooks in just a couple of minutes.
Once the beef is nearly cooked through, season generously with salt and a heavy hand of freshly cracked black pepper. (That peppery finish is a signature of the best Philly cheesesteaks.) Fold the onions and chopped long hots into the meat mixture.
Step 4: Add the Cheese and Steam the Bread
Spread the meat and onion mixture out a bit, and lay the Cooper Sharp American cheese slices over the top. Allow the cheese to begin to melt, about 1-2 minutes, and then mix it into the beef using a folding motion.
Then divide the cheesesteak mixture into two equal piles, and use your spatula to shape the meat into a rough shape that matches the size of your hoagie rolls.
This step is crucial for the perfect cheesesteak, and it’s something that most people skip – Place your hoagie roll cut-side down directly over the pile and let it steam for 60-90 seconds. This softens the bread and helps the cheese melt fully.
Step 5: Build and Serve
Once the cheese has melted, scoop the whole thing up with your spatula, so that the cheesesteak mixture transfers to the roll. To do it like an authentic Philly cheesesteak shop, follow these steps:
- Place one hand on top of the bread, and use your other hand to get your spatula underneath the cheesesteak ingredients.
- In one fluid motion, use the spatula to lift the cheese steak ingredients from the bottom (griddle-side) and use your other hand to turn the sandwich bread right-side up at the same time.
- Scrape the spatula upside down across the bread to transfer the cheesesteak mixture from the spatula to the bread. Just be careful, because the melted cheese and the grease from the ribeye is HOT! You can place a piece of deli-paper on top of the bread before flipping it over to help protect your hand.
Lay the whole roasted long hots on top of the cheesesteak filling inside the roll.
For the best results, immediately wrap the entire sandwich is deli-style paper and allow it to rest for about 3-4 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Chop some long hots into the meat: Don’t just layer them on top. Dicing some and mixing them into the beef means you get that roasted pepper flavor in every single bite.
- Go low and slow on the beef: Especially with pre-shaved store-bought ribeye, high heat will dry it out fast. Low heat = juicy, tender cheesesteak.
- Steam your bread over the meat: Placing the bread directly on the meat pile for a few minutes steams it perfectly and locks in every drop of flavor.
- Wrap the cheesesteak in deli paper: This isn’t just for wrapping the sandwich for a takeout order… it helps to steam and soften the bread. Wrapping for just a few minutes before enjoying your Philly makes a huge difference!
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooper Sharp American is the authentic choice and it’s worth tracking down. That said, White American cheese from the deli counter is the best substitute. Avoid pre-sliced packaged American — it doesn’t melt the same way.
Ribeye is traditional and ideal. Store-bought pre-shaved ribeye is a great time-saver and works very well — just keep your griddle on low to avoid drying it out. Other leaner cuts, like sirloin, don’t work as well for cheesesteaks. You want the extra fat.
They have a mild-to-medium heat — a bit spicier than a banana pepper, but significantly milder than a jalapeño. The roasting mellows them considerably. When mixed into the cheesesteak, the heat blends with the cheese and beef and adds flavor more than burn. If you’re sensitive to spice, remove the seeds and pith before using. My wife and I both commented that next time we will add a few more long hot peppers, because they added great flavor.
Twin French loaves (the kind sold in pairs at the grocery store) work well as a substitute. Just avoid anything with a very hard crust — you want the bread to have a slight chew but still be soft enough to compress when you take a bite. Steaming the bread over the cheesesteak mixture on the griddle as a last step also helps to soften the bead.
Absolutely. Toss them with oil and salt, spread on a baking sheet, and broil at medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes, turning once, until blistered. A grill or high-heat appliance gives the best char, but the oven works fine.
Long Hots Cheesesteak
Ingredients
- 28 oz shaved ribeye steak
- 10-12 oz Cooper Sharp American cheese, sliced see notes
- 2 hoagie rolls
- 4-6 Italian long hot peppers
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil (like avocado or vegetable oil) for the long hots
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roast the long hots. Toss long hots peppers in a light coat of oil (about 1 tablespoon) and a pinch of salt. Roast over medium-high heat — on a grill, under a broiler, or on a high-heat appliance — turning occasionally until skins are blistered and flesh is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Then cover with foil and let steam 5 minutes. Dice half of the long hots for mixing into the meat; leave the rest whole for topping. Remove seeds and pith to reduce heat if desired.
- Heat the griddle or skillet. Heat your griddle or a large skillet over low heat. *Low heat on the griddle is the key to moist, tender shaved beef. High heat will dry it out quickly.
- Cook the onions. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the griddle or skillet. Add diced onions to the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 8–10 minutes.
- Cook the shaved ribeye. When the onions are almost done cooking, add shaved ribeye to the griddle in a separate area. Keep the heat on low and gently separate the beef as it cooks. Once nearly cooked through (2–3 minutes), season with salt and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Mix the onions and the diced long hots into the beef.
- Add the cheese. Spread the meat and onion mixture out a bit on the griddle, and lay the Cooper Sharp American cheese slices over the top. Allow the cheese to begin to melt, about 1-2 minutes, and then mix it into the beef using a folding motion.
- Steam the bread. Divide the cheesesteak mixture into two equal piles, and use your spatula to shape the meat into a rough shape that matches the size of your hoagie rolls. Place the hoagie rolls cut-side down over the cheesesteak piles and let steam for about 2 minutes to soften the bread and finish melting the cheese.
- Build the sandwich. Scoop the meat and cheese into the rolls. Top with the reserved whole roasted long hots. Serve immediately. *You can also wrap the cheesesteaks in deli-style paper to rest for 2-3 minutes. This helps to further soften the rolls and steam the sandwich.
Notes
- For the cheese – Cooper Sharp American cheese is traditional for a Philly cheesesteak. If you can’t find it, you can substitute sliced white American from the deli counter. Don’t use individually wrapped American cheese slices, because it doesn’t melt the same way.
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