Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 7 oz. ground beef (80/20 is ideal)
- ***
- The Hirshon Pan-NYC Seasoning Salt:
- 3 tsp. Marion-Kay Chicken Seasoning Plus
- 1 1/2 tsp. Knorr Aromat
- 1 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
- 3/4 tsp. hawaiij spice blend
- 3/4 tsp. porcini powder
- 3/8 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika
- 3/8 tsp. Mexican oregano
- ***
- 1 small brown onion, peeled and finely chopped
- largish pinch of baking soda (NOT baking powder)
- 2 tsp. oil (TFD prefers avocado oil in this recipe)
- 2-3 slices Velveeta cheese
- 1 hero roll (or hoagie roll)
- Iceberg lettuce, washed, thoroughly dried and shredded
- Heirloom yellow tomato, washed, dried, sliced and seeds removed
- red Peppadew peppers, drained thoroughly and chopped (optional but recommended TFD addition)
- ***
- The Hirshon Chopped Cheese Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp. Georgian hunter-style satsebeli sauce (strongly preferred) or Ketchup with a few shakes of Tabasco
- 2 Tbsp. Hellmann's/Best Foods Mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. Wickles Sweet Relish
- A good dash of quality tarragon vinegar (preferred) or cider vinegar
Instructions
- In advance: Make the seasoning salt – combine all the ingredients thoroughly. Make a few batches of this, combine all and put into a spice jar. Keep tightly closed when not in use.
- Make the chopped cheese sauce – combine all ingredients in a bowl. Reserve and chill.
- Make the chopped cheese: heat a griddle (strongly preferred!) or large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add oil, then add onions and baking soda immediately and let everything sear for 1–2 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Then, add ground beef in loose chunks. Season generously with Hirshon Pan-NYC Seasoning Salt.
- Chop aggressively with a metal spatula (or two). You’re not browning crumbles — you’re creating a cohesive, juicy beef pile.
- Then, use your spatula to shape the chopped beef mixture until it roughly matches the shape of your sub roll, and top with sliced Velveeta cheese. The cheese should not take longer than a minute or two to melt into the meat.
- Chop again, folding the melted cheese fully into the beef until very gooey and unified.
- Toast the hero roll cut-side down on the griddle until lightly crisp.
- Smear Hirshon Chopped Cheese Sauce on both sides of the roll. Construct as follows: Beef-cheese mixture on the bottom roll, then peppers on top of the beef, then tomato slices, then lettuce.
- Close, press lightly, wrap in foil or paper (this is important), and let steam for 1-2 minutes.
- Eat immediately.