Cheesesteaks

The thing a cook-ahead cook must always keep in mind: don't cling too tightly to your menu plan if something exciting catches your fancy. So on Tuesday, when Peter, my optician, mentioned that our local butcher sold good shaved steak, I thought "... hmm, cheesesteaks ..."

So on his way home from work on Friday, Dave picked up the provisions and we had cheesesteaks for dinner instead of "breakfast" as we had originally planned.

Cheesesteaks

There is no official cheesesteak recipe - everyone's got their favorite. For Dave, we tried to create a Geno's-style (a la Philly cheesesteak) sandwich, while I wanted more of a toasted-cheese experience.

• 1 small red onion, sliced thin


• 1 pound shaved steak (I have no idea what the true cut of this meat is - in the past I have bought a ribeye and sliced it very thin when shaved steak wasn't available


• 2 long sub rolls, sliced the long way, but not all the way through (you should be able to open it like a book)


• cheese (I had provolone on mine. Dave had Cheese Whiz, which if you go to Geno's is what you get. I could not bring myself to eat it after reading the ingredient listing.)


• salt and pepper


• sriracha or another hot pepper source (optional)

Heat a large griddle or cast iron skillet. Saute the onion until soft and some pieces are a little browned. When the onion is done the way you like it, push all the onion to one side of the pan. Scatter the shaved steak evenly over the rest of the pan, season it well with salt and pepper. Cook the steak, tossing it occasionally with tongs or a spatula until done to your liking.

While the steak is cooking, toast your rolls if you wish. I warmed Dave's through (mainly because our rolls weren't very good) for him. I spread the provolone out on mine and toasted it until the cheese got melty. If you are using, ahem, Cheese Whiz, heat it up in the microwave.

When the steak is done, portion out the meat and onions over the two rolls. Add the Whiz, if using. Add your hots if desired.

Call your cardiologist and eat.