I first brought this steak out at Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City. It caused enough of a stir to prompt me to serve it at Bar Americain, where, to the delight of our patrons, it is Saturday’s plate of the day. Flavorful, juicy strip steaks are massaged with a chile-laden spice rub and topped with sweet golden caramelized onions—because I definitely order my Philly cheese steak “wit” onions! The cheese choice has always been more of a dilemma for me—the flavor of provolone is far superior to that of classic Cheez Whiz, but I love the smooth, melted texture of the Whiz. I created my own answer to that age-old dilemma for this steak: the provolone sauce is creamy, luscious, and full of sharp cheese flavor. Seriously, this steak is drool-worthy good.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　

Steaks

4 (12-ounce) boneless strip steaks, trimmed of fat

　　2 tablespoons canola oil

　　1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

　　Spice Rub (page 150)

　　Caramelized Onions (recipe follows)

　　Steak Sauce (page 150; optional)

　　Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

　　

Provolone Sauce

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

　　1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

　　2 cups whole milk, plus more if needed, heated

　　1/2 pound aged provolone cheese, grated (2 cups)

　　1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　1 tablespoon canola oil

　　3 large Spanish onions, halved and thinly sliced

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　(makes about 1 cup)

　　

Step 1

To cook the steaks, preheat the broiler.

　　

Step 2

Brush both sides of each steak with the oil and season both sides with the salt. Rub one side of each steak with the spice rub and place the steaks, rub side up, on a broiler pan. Broil until the top of each steak is golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue broiling to medium-rare, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

　　

Step 3

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the warm milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. If the mixture is too thick to pour easily, thin it with a little extra milk. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the provolone, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

　　

Step 4

Ladle some of the cheese sauce onto 4 large dinner plates. Place the steaks on top of the sauce, top each steak with some of the caramelized onions, and drizzle with a few tablespoons of steak sauce if desired. Garnish with parsley.

　　

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Step 5

Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 45 minutes. The onions can be made in advance, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat before serving.

　　Reprinted with permission from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson, (C) 2011 Clarkson PotterBOBBY FLAY, a New York Times bestselling author, is the chef-owner of six fine dining restaurants, including Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, and Bobby Flay Steak, and an expanding roster of Bobby's Burger Palaces. He is the host of numerous popular cooking shows on Food Network, from the Emmy-winning Boy Meets Grill and Grill It! with Bobby Flay, to the Iron Chef America series, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, and Food Network Star. Brunch @ Bobby's debuted on the Cooking Channel in fall 2010 and America's Next Great Restaurant debuted in March 2011 on NBC. This is his eleventh book. His website is BobbyFlay.com.