Sob - The Inventor of the Philly Cheese Steak is gone

One of the gods has left the earth.

Da Inkwire reports

Harry Olivieri, 90, cheesesteak whiz

By Gayle Ronan Sims
Inquirer Staff Writer

Harry M. Olivieri, 90, younger brother of Pat, as in world-famous Pat's King of Steaks, and co-creator of the original cheesesteak, died of heart failure yesterday at Atlantic City Medical Center in Pomona, N.J.

He lived in South Philadelphia until three years ago, when failing health forced him to move to Atlantic City to live with his daughter, Maria.

As the story goes, the two brothers operated a hot dog grill at Ninth Street and Passyunk Avenue in 1930, when Pat said to Mr. Olivieri, "Here's a quarter. Go to the Italian Market and buy a hunk of steak."

The brothers cut up the steak, grilled it with sliced onions, and slapped it on a roll.

A cabbie drove by and asked what they called that sandwich. "I guess you call it a steak sandwich," they said and sold it for a dime. That was the birth of the Philadelphia steak. Cheese was introduced 22 years later. First Cheez Whiz was slapped on the cooked steak. A few years later, they began serving it with provolone and American cheese and pizza sauce..

What is a Philly cheese steak?


You have to try one here. Here is the original recipe:

Serves 4

24oz thin sliced rib eye or eye roll steak
6 table spoons of Soya bean oil
Cheese {we recommend Cheez Whiz®} American or Provolone works fine
4 crusty Italian Rolls
1 large Spanish onion

Optional
sweet green and red peppers sautéed in oil
Mushrooms sautéed in oil

Assembly
Heat an iron skillet or a non stick pan over medium heat
add3 table spoons of oil to the pan and sauté the onions to desired doneness
remove the onions
add the remaining oil and sauté the slices of meat quickly on both sides
melt the cheez Whiz® in a double boiler or in the microwave
place 6oz. of the meat into the rolls
add onions, and pour the Cheez Whiz® over top
garnish with hot or fried sweet peppers, mushrooms, ketchup

You should get some cheese fries with that cheesesteak.