Chef notes
This sandwich was built for those watching the Broncos live. You need the perfect bite to survive when you're a mile high with freezing temperatures. This dish has a big, beefy, rib-eye flavor, griddled onions, hot chiles and smooth, spicy queso. It will warm you up and help you forget about the score (if they're losing).
Technique tip: Make sure your steak is sliced super thin; otherwise, the sandwich can be a challenge to eat. If you can't get it sliced from the butcher, freeze the meat for 30 minutes to make it easier to slice. The chile con queso recipe is almost double what you will need; you can cut the ingredients by half or grab a bowl of tortilla chips and serve it as an appetizer. Make the queso ahead of time and store it in a vacuum-sealed drink container.
Swap option: Feel free to use any of your favorite chiles! Get some that match the heat and flavor that you're looking for. If you can't find Oaxacan cheese, sub in mozzarella. If you can't find roasted chiles, you can simply buy fresh ones and char them, steam them in a paper bag, then remove the charred skin.
Equipment needed: You will need a flat-top griddle or a large heavy-bottom skillet (like cast iron).
Ingredients
- 2 cups Oaxaca cheese
- 2 cups shredded Monterey jack
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups diced, roasted green chiles
- 1 (24-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- neutral oil
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into thin strips
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds rib-eye steak, thinly sliced
- 4 hoagie rolls (7-8 inches), sliced (not all the way through)
- 4 whole-roasted green hatch chiles or 2 poblanos, cut in half lengthwise
Preparation
For the chile con queso:
1.Shred all of your cheese and toss to coat with cornstarch.
2.Add the butter and chiles to a small saucepan. Cook over a medium heat until softened. Add the evaporated milk to the pan and bring to a low simmer. Stir in the cheese, one handful at a time.
3.When melted, turn off the heat and add the tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put the queso in a thermos-style container to keep warm.
For the cheesesteaks:
1.Heat a griddle or heavy-bottom cast-iron pan to medium-high heat with two tablespoons of neutral oil. Add your onions to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft. Move the onions to a cooler part of the griddle.
2.Add your sliced steak to the griddle and season with salt and pepper. Once the edges start to look cooked, add your onions back into the pan. Using your spatula, combine the onions and steak. Once the steak is cooked through, organize it into four equal piles that are the shape of your hoagie roll. Place a hoagie roll over each pile to heat the rolls. After 1 to 2 minutes, slide the spatula under the hoagie and flip it over, holding the steak in the roll.
3.Drizzle each sandwich with the chile con queso and top with a whole-roasted hatch chile (or 1/2 poblano).
