Quick and Easy Philly Cheesesteak (Paleo, Keto, Carnivore-friendly)
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m following a mostly carnivore diet right now. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease almost 14 years ago and functional medicine and the paleo diet have kept that disease in remission for a long time. But autoimmunity is tricky and most people who develop one autoimmune condition, end up developing more in their lifetime. I have escaped that statistic so far, but I have developed a pretty severe case of eczema on my hands. While not officially classified as autoimmune, to those of us in this functional medicine space, the cause of eczema certainly looks like it is leaning in that direction. This eczema, combined with the fact that my body seems to be a phase of not wanting to digest vegetables, is why I am sticking to mostly carnivore.
I do, however, still have a family to feed who do not want nor need to eat carnivore, which means I continue to cook complete, “balanced” meals, but I only eat certain parts of the meal. Rather than consider this a hardship, I consider it a creative challenge! How do I make interesting and delicious meals that suit all of our needs without cooking separate meals?
I do that with recipes like this one: Philly Cheesesteaks. The meat and seasoning in this recipe (plus cheese if I want it) are perfectly acceptable for me. All I have to do is add the peppers and onions to the meat and stuff that all into a delicious gluten free bun, make a couple easy sides (here a green salad and sweet potato fries) and it’s a great meal that works for everyone.
So whether you need to eat carnivore or not, this recipe will work for you. For the meat, you really need very thinly sliced steak. Some grocery store butchers will do this for you. Some grocery stores sell it already sliced and that’s what I highly recommend if you can find it. Where I live, the place that sells meat like this is Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have a TJ’s near you, search your local stores and butcher shops and see what you can find.
I hope you enjoy this meal as much as my family does. It’s been on regular repeat over here!
Quick and Easy Philly Cheesesteak
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. grass fed butter, divided
- 1 large sweet onion
- 1 large bell pepper, any color
- 1 – 1 1/2 lbs. shaved steak, ribeye is best, but any you like will do
- 1/2 tsp. Seasoned Salt, Redmon Real Salt Brand is preferred or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- sliced cheese provolone and white American are our favorites
- gluten free buns or rolls see note for recommendations
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet (I prefer cast iron) over medium high heat. Add one tablespoon of butter. Thinly slice onions and bell peppers. Add onions first, sprinkle on a little salt and pepper, stir and cook five minutes. Now add the sliced peppers. Stir and cook five minutes more.
- While the peppers and onions are cooking, lay out the meat on paper towels. If you were able to find thinly sliced steak*, it will be all stuck together in the package. You need to separate it so you can season it properly. Sprinkle meat with the Seasoned Salt. I really don't measure this, just sprinkle some on. You can taste it while cooking and add more if desired. *If you were not able to find pre-sliced beef, place your steaks in the freezer for about 10 minutes, which will make them easier to slice. And make sure you use a very sharp knife!
- Remove onions and peppers to a serving dish and cover to keep warm.
- Add remaining two tablespoons of butter to the same skillet, melt and then add the meat. Try to add it in one layer, but don't be too fussy about this. You just need some of it to sear, which adds flavor. Don't touch it for five minutes.
- Now stir frequently until it's all cooked to your liking. There should be very little to no liquid left in your pan and meat should no longer be pink, with some of it showing those nice, browned parts.
- Add in the worcestershire sauce, stir, give it a taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Turn off heat.
- Build your sandwiches: I split my rolls, butter them lightly and toast in a dry skillet (you can do this while the meat is cooking), then lay on the sliced cheese (the heat of the roll will melt the cheese), then allow everyone to build their sandwich or bowl however they like!