Swiss Cheesesteak with Fondue

Swiss Streetfood

In 1911, two Swiss cheesemakers melted Emmentaler and invented processed cheese. So seeing a cheesesteak drowned in orange cheese whiz hurts a little. This is the fix: a cheesesteak with real fondue.

• Serves 2
• 45 minutes plus freezing

Three steps that make or break it

Freeze the meat first, otherwise you can't slice it thin enough. Keep some fondue back for a fresh drizzle at the end. And skip crusty bread. Something soft like a Laugenbrötli, laid on the hot meat to steam, is what makes it a cheesesteak.

The recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Laugenbrötli (pretzel rolls)
• 300 g pork neck
• 2 large onions
• 6 to 8 button mushrooms
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 1 small ready-made fondue mix
• Worcestershire sauce
• Garlic powder
• Chives
• Pickles to serve

How to make it

1. Put the meat in the freezer 30 to 45 minutes before you start.
2. Cut the onions into large pieces, slice the mushrooms not too thin and cut the pepper into 2 cm pieces. Sear the vegetables over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until they take colour but keep some bite. Take them out.
3. Slice the half-frozen meat as thin as you can, 1 to 2 mm. A thick piece straight across, a thin piece at an angle for more surface.
4. Sear the meat over medium heat, chopping it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Add the vegetables back with a splash of Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. A little water helps if it sticks. It should colour well and stay juicy.
5. Heat the fondue in the microwave until fully liquid.
6. Slit the rolls open like a hot dog bun, not all the way through, and don't toast them.
7. Pour half the fondue into the meat and stir briefly. Shape two piles the size of the rolls, lay the rolls on top, cover and steam for 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Scrape underneath with a spatula and flip the whole thing so the filling lands inside the roll. Finish with chives and the rest of the fondue. Serve with pickles.

Freezing is the step people skip. Without it the slices are too thick and the texture is wrong.