12 OUNCES OF SHAVE BEEF:   (Black Angus now makes a "Premium Shaved Beef in frozen 4oz. packets, 4 per box, available at many markets --- if not, ask the store manager to order it.  This is perfect.  If that's not available, use a good piece of beef, like eye of the round.  Don't use a cheap cut of meat as it will be chewwy.  SHAVE the meat; that is, cut it just as think as is possible using a slicer on the thinest setting possible, ask the butcher to SHAVE the beef or use a VERY SHARP french knife to cut it. Slice it SO THIN that you can see light throught the slice.  THis is critical as there are tremendous flavor differences in SHAVED BEEF versus SLICED BEEF.  DO NOT USE SLICED BEEF.  As a back up, there is a product that is more reaily available than the Blank Angus shaved beef and it is called STEAK-UMS.  This product will do but it is not as good as above. While cooking, whatever product you use, be sure to break it up into small pieces as it cooks, mixing it with the other ingredients.

2 medium white or yellow onions

4 oz. Medium or small mushrooms

2 tbls olive oil

1 French baguette, thin, sour dough

4 thick slices Provolone cheese

Thaw beef if frozen. Place in refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for two hours, no longer.

Slice onions with very sharp knife or slicer as thin as possible and separate layers of onions to help cooking. (TIP: slice one side of onion to serve as a base to steady onion while you slice it—hold with knuckles, not fingers to avoid accidents)

Slice mushrooms normally, about the thickness of a saltine cracker.

Pour about two tablespoons of soy or canola oil on the cooking surface, for 12 oz to 1 lb of shaved beef. Preheat oil on high so a drop of water sizzles when you drop it in the oil. Lower heat, while cooking, to medium high or medium. Use two spatulas, one long, to mix, cook. break up meat/onions and scoop from pan or griddle.

It is best to put onions and mushrooms in hot oil, first as they need to cook longer than the meat. If onions start to brown, turn down heat. When mushrooms darken and onions start to look clear, put meat on top of onions and cook for about 3 minutes. Break up meat if it is patties and mix with onions and mushrooms. Mix thoroughly and cook until meat browns. Salt and pepper to taste. Heap cooked meat, onions and mushrooms in a long pile across pan. Lay cheese slices over meat until melted.

Slice bread two-thirds down, all the way, end to end. Use long spatula to scoop meat mixture and cheese up from underneath it and lay into bread so cheese stays on top. This usually takes two scoops.

Slice sandwich into two or four pieces and serve with a Klausen Dill Pickle spear.

Here's a a run down on the HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA STEAK SANDWICH

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