Mortadella Cheesesteak

This is quite an indulgent sandwich! I was craving a cheesesteak and was unsure what I was going to make with it, when I saw the mortadella in the deli staring at me begging me to purchase it and put it in the sandwich! It adds such a deep deliciousness to the cheesesteak that something like ham, bacon or other pork options wouldn’t bring in the same way. I think it’s the chunks of creamy fat that render when you cook it!

Besides the mortadella though, this was a pretty standard cheesesteak for me. My roommate of many years was from the Philly area so he and I worked together for a while to perfect my cheesesteaks.

Choosing the right steak for the perfect cheesesteak

Unless you have access to a deli slicer (which I did for a few years but that is another story) thin sliced steak from an Asian grocery store is the way to go. I usually go to H-mart which is a national chain of Korean grocery stores. The shaved steak at the American store is a little too thin for me. You can find it cut this way at Asian markets because it is intended for hot pot. Not only do I think the slightly thicker steak is perfect for a cheesesteak, but you can also usually choose from a bunch of different cuts of meat! I wrote this recipe to use all ribeye but if you want a real treat get about 75% ribeye and 25% brisket.

finish it off with some nicely caramelized onions, banana peppers, and some cheese. This time I used a combo of provolone and jack.

Making the Mortadella Cheesesteak

Get your pan to medium heat and cook the onions in some butter first. Cook the onions until nicely caramelized, about a half hour on medium. Then remove from the pan and crank it up. Get some nice browned edges on the steak, then remove it from the pan.

Finally, add the mortadella and get some color on it as well. Then add the steak and onions back to the pan, along with the banana peppers.

Mix in the cheese at the very end and remove the pan from the heat. Form a little meat pile and top it with the sandwich bread for a few minutes to let all the cheese melt. Get in there with a spatula and flip everything out of the pan and into the bun!

The pure beauty of the mortadella cheesesteak

I would describe this sandwich as absurdly delicious, or even pure unadulterated deliciousness. The browned and crispy bits of steak and mortadella are really where the magic lives. All the super savory and sweet onion goodness is the backbone of the sandwich. The little bites of sour/spicy banana peppers provide just the right contrast to cut the heaviness of the sandwich.

Twists on a Mortadella Cheesesteak

I am sure you could do this sandwich with just mortadella but it might be a little too rich if I am being honest. I understand that that is a wild thing for me to say as I am presenting a mortadella cheesesteak to you, but here we are.

Other meats you could use instead of mortadella are ham, salami, or capicola. You could do a mix of them all if you wanted too! I have done a cheesesteak with lobster mixed in which is an indulgent and delicious twist as well.