A Steak Bomb Sandwich is a lip-smacking, fully-loaded steak and cheese sandwich that is sure to please any picky eater!
Sometimes, my husband Jack goes a little over the top when he’s cooking. And in the case of this Steak Bomb Sandwich – that’s a very, very good thing!
What is a Steak Bomb Sandwich?
A Steak Bomb Sandwich is a hot and messy steak sub or sandwich made with shaved steak and melted provolone cheese, plus sautéed onions, sautéed green bell peppers and mushrooms. It’s essentially ‘the bomb’ (aka very, very delicious) and that’s what inspired the name.
According to one school of thought, the Steak Bomb Sandwich is believed to have originated in New Haven, Connecticut at a burger restaurant called Louis’ Lunch. (Another interesting tidbit: Louis’ Lunch also claims to have invented the first hamburger!)
But the Steak Bomb Sandwich is so beloved throughout all of New England, lots of other sub shops have tried to claim it as their own invention. Jitto’s Restaurant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire calls itself “The Home of the Steak Bomb.” And USA Subs in Derry, New Hampshire even went so far as to get a trademark on the name – just to get a leg up on their neighborhood competition!
Some versions of the Steak Bomb Sandwich include salami in the mix for some added zesty flavor. And at most sub shops in New England, you can order it with or without ‘hots’ (hot pepper relish).
How do you make a Steak Bomb Sandwich?
Our Steak Bomb Sandwich combines tender shaved steak, melted provolone cheese, caramelized onions and peppers and mushrooms that we sautéed in bourbon, plus we slathered our homemade roasted garlic aioli onto the roll. (Don’t you want to take a bite out of this right now?)
Just use your favorite sandwich or sub roll for this recipe. Here in New England we always go for ‘bulkie rolls’ from Rhode Island-based Calise Bakery (they are the best!) but any Kaiser, hoagie, sub, grinder, or soft crusty sandwich roll will do, as long as it can hold up to the juicy filling in this loaded steak and cheese sandwich.
What kind of steak do you use when making a Steak Bomb Sandwich?
Some sub shops use steak tips for their Steak Bomb Sandwich, but a good-quality, shaved ribeye steak is traditional (and easier to eat).
Don’t be embarrassed to buy pre-shaved steak at the grocery store, or from your butcher. Most home cooks (including us) aren’t able to hand shave the ribeye steak thin enough for this type of sandwich (unless you happen to own a meat slicer). Just be sure you buy shaved steak and not the pre-ground steak that is formed into strips – it’s definitely not the same tender cut of beef that you want to use when making this Steak Bomb Sandwich.
Served with our Roasted French-Style Potatoes (and a little Roasted Garlic Aioli on the side for dipping) – this is a hearty and delicious meal!
This post originally appeared on A Family Feast in March 2013. We’ve updated the photos.
You may enjoy these other Sandwich recipes:
- Meatball Subs
- Slow Cooker Italian Beef Subs
- Grilled Cheese Club Sandwich
- Grilled Chicken Club with Rosemary Aioli
- Pepper Pig Breakfast Sandwich
Steak Bomb Sandwich
A Steak Bomb Sandwich is a lip-smacking, fully-loaded steak and cheese sandwich that is sure to please any picky eater!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: entree, Sandwich
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1 large peeled onion, sliced into five thick slices
2 large green bell peppers sliced into long thick slices
1 12-oz package button mushrooms
5 tablespoons butter, separated
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, separated
Pinch of sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
Pinch of salt
Few grinds of pepper
1 1/2 pounds shaved steak (two 12-ounce packages)*
1/4 pound sliced provolone cheese (8 slices)
Bulkie or sub rolls
Instructions
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of butter with one tablespoon of olive oil. Place the onion and pepper slices into the pan and slowly sauté for 15-20 minutes until browned and caramelized, stirring and flipping occasionally. Add a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper and a large pinch of sugar and stir to combine. Cook on low for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- While onions are cooking, heat a large skillet over high heat with one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of oil. (Mushrooms will be cooked in two batches). Once butter mixture is hot, place half the mushrooms in and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes and flip each slice and cook for another 2 minutes then remove to a bowl.
- Repeat with one tablespoon of oil and butter and second half of mushrooms.
- When the second batch of mushrooms are cooked, add first batch back in with second batch and pull pan from burner. Add in bourbon and slowly place back on flame. The mixture should flame up and then burn off the alcohol. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
- Once the peppers and onions are cooked, add cooked mushrooms.
- Heat large skillet or flat griddle over medium high heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter. Add in half the steak and with two wooden spoons or tongs, pull steak apart and turn and cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Season with a little more salt and pepper. Remove to the pan with the peppers and onions.
- Add remaining oil and butter and cook the rest of the beef then add to the other pan.
- Stir the mixture around and heat to hot. Make four large piles and place provolone slices over each pile and cover pan to melt the cheese, about one minute.
- Spread roasted garlic aioli onto bulkie roll or sub roll. With a spatula slide a serving of the steak and cheese mixture onto each roll and enjoy. We served ours with Roasted French-Style Potatoes.
Notes
I have found vast differences in what markets call shaved steak. Typically what you find in the market is steak shaved off a frozen block of beef scrap pieces. They put the scraps together into a square shape, freeze it and slice it paper thin. What you get after the meat thaws out is a lot of weepy tough pieces. In my opinion, the best option for shaved steak is a rib eye that you have a butcher shave for you. It cooks up quickly and is super tender and flavorful.
Here are our old photos:
I cooked this for the first time last week. It was amazing!! My kids are the pickiest eaters and they loved it!! Had a friend and her daughter over for dinner and they loved it as well. So much that I’m cooking it for dinner again tonight!!
Thanks Kelli – Having a picky eater of our own at home I totally appreciate it when we find a recipe that everyone enjoys! I’m glad you all enjoy our recipe!
this is so good everyone loved it
Thanks Ted!
This sounds amazing but I’m not familiar with Shaved Steak, please enlighten me?
Hi Bibs – As you might guess from the name, it’s very thinly sliced beef. Your butcher can typically cut it for you – using a rib eye or sirloin. Some supermarkets sell it pre-packaged as well – sometimes in the frozen food aisle. Hope that helps!
No bourbon, can I substitute whiskey?
Sure – it will give it a different flavor but will definitely work!
Looks great! One odd question, husband is allergic to mushrooms. How would you think it would come out without them. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thanks Sandy – you can definitely leave out the mushrooms! It will still taste great! Hope you and your husband enjoy the recipe!
Looks like a great recipe
I have eaten steak bombs on Cape Cod in Provincetown and Falmouth. Usually the best are at Mom and Pop pizza and sandwich places. I know there are many variations of recipes but I thought the bombs had tomato/spaghetti sauce on them as well as black olives in addition to the cheese and mushrooms.
I am anxious to try this recipe
Thanks
Jim
Very interesting Jim!! I have to admit that neither of us have seen Steak Bombs with tomato sauce added…just the full boat of veggies (onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc) and the cheese! We’ll have to look for the version you’ve mentioned the next time we’re down in PTown or Falmouth! And totally agree – those Mom & Pop pizza joints have the best food! Hope you enjoy our recipe and thanks for writing to us!
What can I substitute for alcohol…This looks amazing.
Hi Sandy – the alcohol will burn off leaving only the flavor. But you can always just omit that step if you prefer! Thanks!
This sounds wonderful. It sounds very similar to a sandwich called a Jalapeno Sirloin Melt that I usually order from a local restaurant when we go out.
I will definitely be trying this, but adding jalapenos… lol!
Sounds great! My husband Jack especially would love this with jalapeños added!
Quick question. I’m cooking on an electric stove. The alcohol won’t flame up then will it? And then my silly question. It would still be OK for a toddler to eat. Even if it doesn’t flame the alcohol is still cooked off or to where it won’t hurt , correct?
Hi Tiffany! Yes the alcohol will cook off leaving only the flavor…making it safe for your toddler. You could light the alcohol with a long match if you are daring but if not, just boiling it will cook off the alcohol. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
My husband made this for the fam last night and WOW was it great!!!! I made the garlic mayo on monday so it set and just got better until Wednesday night… We used a sirlion steak that was about 80% frozen for easy slicing, sweet onions and Crown Royal for the liquor. We were both surprised at how flavorful everything was even with such little seasoning!! Delicious for a mid-week steak craving! I brought the leftover meat to work for a salad!! Thank you for all the great recipes, we’ve loved everything we’ve tried
;D
Thank you so much Marcy!! We’re so glad you are enjoying our recipes! Thank you for visiting our website!