Philly Cheesesteak

Trim the ribeye of gristle and put it in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes, until it is firm at the edges but still yields in the centre. Slice it across the grain as thinly as you possibly can, 1 to 2 mm, then pile the slices up and run the knife through them a few times. Cold meat is the only way to get slices this thin without a slicer.

Heat the oil in a large flat-bottomed frying pan or on a griddle over medium-high heat. Thinly slice the onions, and deseed and thinly slice the green pepper if using. Add them to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until soft, floppy and browned at the edges. Push them to one side of the pan.

Turn the heat to high and add the butter. Spread the beef out in a thin layer in the clear part of the pan and leave it alone for 1 minute so it takes some colour.

Now chop and turn it with the edge of a metal spatula, breaking the slices into ragged pieces as they cook. It is done in 2 to 3 minutes, while there is still a little pink showing; cook it past that and it goes grey and tough.

Mix the onions through the meat, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and rake the whole lot into four long piles the shape of your rolls. Lay two slices of provolone over each pile.

Splash a tablespoon of water into a bare patch of the pan and cover for 30 seconds. The steam melts the cheese down into the meat instead of leaving it sitting on top.

Split each roll almost all the way through, press it down over a pile, slide the spatula underneath, and flip the whole thing over so the meat lands in the roll cheese side down. Serve immediately, while the roll is still warm from the pan.