Philly Ted Talks
Eatery owner shares his secrets for making the perfect cheesesteak sandwich.
Rapid City Journal, March 28, 2007
By Jomay Steen
After vacationing in the Black Hills for years, Ted English fell in love with the area and realized he wanted to live here.
He also realized he wasn't getting any younger, so in 2000 at age 52, he relocated to South Dakota from his hometown of Philadelphia. English had researched the Rapid City and Spearfish communities for nearly four years.
He landed a job in the home health-care profession in Rapid City and began his new life.
“There has always been for me something mystical or magical about the Black Hills,” English said of his decision to settle in Rapid City.
Yet, all was not paradise once he arrived.
After nearly a yearlong search for a good Philly cheesesteak sandwich in the area, he decided to open his own restaurant dedicated to the Philadelphia specialty.
“Before this, I had never worked at a McDonald's or any fast food place,” he said. “ I started out at square one.”
Luckily, he has always loved cooking and had rattled around in his own kitchens most of his life. He also is passionate about food.
“I think about the foods I grew up with and try to remember what I saw and what it tasted like,” English said of recapturing those tastes and textures in his own menu at his eatery at 1415 LaCrosse St.
Philly Ted's offers the authentic taste of Philly cheesesteak sandwich, comparable to those of South Philadelphia's mainstays Pat's King of Steaks or Geno's Steaks. It is a rich and deserved reputation.
“My friends back in Philadelphia's biggest concerns were about the kinds of cheese or rolls I was going to use. We're very passionate about cheesesteak,” he said.
English happily scouted out the best quality beef, “after all, this is beef country.” But he ran into obstacles finding the right cheeses and rolls.
Cheez Whiz, a legendary staple in his hometown, was tough to get here, he said. “one food purveyor in town needed two weeks notice to get it. The largest purveyor in the world couldn't get it at all,” English said.
He initially had to have Cheez Whiz shipped overnight to his shop, but has since found a local retail store for his supplies. But he said that any cheese can be substituted such as American, Provolone, Mozzarella or even Swiss if you can't get Cheez Whiz.
“For most Philadelphians, green peppers and Swiss cheese don't belong on an authentic cheesesteak ... but as long as the meat is quality, the roll is firm and the cheese is tasty, it's your taste buds,” he said.
His second hurdle was finding the right bread, which proved more difficult.
He said a good cheesesteak cannot be put on a large hot dog-style bun and be called a Philly. The roll has to hold the steak, juices, melted cheese and condiments without dissolving into a doughy mess.
He used a French-style roll from a local grocer, but it wasn't consistent. A different bread source closed, and having rolls shipped from Philadelphia was out of the question. English then took matters into his own hands, baking his own rolls. “It's the real deal,” he said.
English said that good food is what people expect.
“Once people experience the cheesesteak – a good cheesesteak – they've discovered something,” he said. “They're hooked.”
Shopping for this Philly favorite is simple, but he offers some prep hints.
Any quality meat is acceptable, which includes rib eye, sirloin or inside (top) round. English prefers inside or top round roast. He says to ask the store's butcher to thinly slice the meat for you, telling him it is for Philly steaks. But don't be surprised if it is not cut as thin as you would like, he said.
“Cutting thawed meat is very difficult. It's like putting cooked spaghetti into a parking meter slot – very, very difficult,” he said.
If you opt to cut the meat yourself, the trick is to slice the roast with a sharp knife while the meat is still partially frozen. If using chicken in your sandwich, the chicken breast can be thinly cut while partially frozen, too. It is grilled like the cheesesteaks, with the pinkish translucent poultry meat turning white when cooked.
Add the same toppings used with beef, and the results are excellent, English said.
Supermarkets carry convenient frozen cheesesteak products of pressed slices of meats and additives. English isn't impressed with them or their taste, referring to them as “gut fillers.”
“But again, it's your taste buds,” he said.
A variety of toppings can be added to the basic cheesesteak with fried onions, which is referred to as “wit” in South Philly jargon. The most popular toppings to enhance the sandwich's taste include mushrooms, hot peppers, green peppers, jalapenos, hot sauce and salsa.
“As Rocky (Balboa) would say in South Philly, 'Yo Adrian, get me a cheesesteak wit,'” English said.