Let’s talk about cheese steaks.
I will admit to not being an expert on the topic, but during my college years I certainly downed enough of these to learn what I liked. In the dark ages—before the internet and The Food Network—regional foods mostly remained in their regions. Buffalo wings could be found in northern New York State, Tex-Mex cuisine was enjoyed mostly in the southwest, and cheese steaks were eaten in the Philadelphia area. With the advent of culinary homogenization, it is hard to go to any bar that doesn’t serve Buffalo wings and/or nachos. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it always brings up the notion of “authenticity.” Should chili be made with beans (Cincinnati) or only with meat (Texas)? What is the right type of sauce for the Buffalo wings?
This same search for the “real Philly cheese steak” has particularly annoyed me. I have seen too many reports extolling the virtues of Cheez Whiz® as the true choice for any authentic cheese steak. Cheez Whiz®? Really? I honestly didn’t know that that was an option when I first sampled cheese steaks, and always assumed that provolone was the topping of choice. I had seen some people use American cheese, but for me it was always the round italian that made it onto my plate.
I was therefore pleased to see the investigative report by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Entitled Cheez Whiz is overrated for cheesesteaks, staff writer Peter Mucha digs deep in the belly of the Philly cheese steak world and finds that few vendors prefer Cheez Whiz® on their steaks.
But pundits, pleez note: Whiz wasn’t first historically, and it’s no runaway favorite regionwide.
At John’s Roast Pork, which serves up taste-test winners on Snyder Avenue, the processed cheese sauce isn’t even served.
“I’m a cheese eater, sweetheart, and I love cheese, but Whiz is not cheese,” says owner Vonda Bucci, 75. “It’s a lot of grease and coloring.”
And this from Joey Vento, the owner of Geno’s:
“To be honest with you, I’ve never eaten Cheez Whiz, and I’m the owner,” he said. ” . . . We always recommend the provolone. . . . That’s the real cheese.”
The remainder of the article details the history of the cheese steak, and is a pretty entertaining read.
But the important point here is that, once again, I am right. The only remaining question is what would be the perfect wine to accompany Bifteck de fromage de Philadelphie?