This Venison Philly Cheesesteak puts a wild game twist on the classic city favorite, swapping out traditional beef for the rich flavors of thinly sliced venison. Sautéed with onions and bell peppers, then smothered in melted cheese, the venison melds beautifully with the hearty and familiar tastes of this popular sandwich.
Featured Comment:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Thank you Annie, this recipe is 'da bomb. It was a special occasion, so I sliced up 1 ½ good sized venison backstraps. It was pretty quiet at the table for a couple minutes while everyone devoured the Philly Cheesesteaks. Even my daughter-in-law who is not avid venison fan enjoyed the sandwich. Yummy!"
- Steve
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What Cut of Meat do I use?
Thinly sliced ribeye steak is the traditional meat for Philly cheesesteaks. The venison equivalent of the ribeye is the backstrap or loin. I found it a little too painful to cut up a perfectly good backstrap so I used a sirloin roast instead.
Ribeyes are prized for their marbling but venison doesn't have much, if any, fat. This is where my favorite cooking fat comes in handy - pork lard. It enhances the meat a bit by adding some fatty richness.
How do I cut meat for a Philly cheesesteak?
In order to get paper thin slices of meat, you need 2 things: a sharp knife and a mostly frozen piece of meat. I find it much easier to slice meat thinly when it's still frozen. It's super important to slice the meat as thin as you can for this recipe. Otherwise, it could be a little tough to bite through.
Once the meat is sliced thinly, I like to thaw it the rest of the way on paper towels (in the fridge, of course). This helps remove any off flavors in the meat and will also help brown the meat better.
For another tasty venison sandwich recipe, try these venison steak sandwiches with roasted red pepper aioli!
What is Worcestershire Sauce?
The seasoning for the steak is pretty simple - salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire sauce is one of my favorite ways to season wild game. It's a great addition to elk burgers, elk meatloaf, broths, cheesesteaks, etc.
Worcestershire sauce is made up of all sorts of funky and fermented flavors - onions, garlic, vinegar, and anchovies are some of the main flavors. They all come together for a flavor packed sauce that's sure to take your cheesesteak to the next level.
Oh and if you're wondering, Google says to pronounce worcestershire "wu·stuh·shr." Thanks Google, but I'm not really sure if that helps me.
What vegetables are on a Philly cheesesteak?
Philly cheesesteaks can have a variety of vegetables in them like bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, hot peppers, etc. I've been told on multiple occasions that green bell peppers have no place in our kitchen so I opted for a red and yellow bell pepper.
I don't think green peppers are bad but I do prefer the flavor of the other colors. Plus I love the colors. I sauté the vegetables in a little bit of lard and season them with salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Pretty simple!
Putting it all together:
No Philly Cheesesteak would be complete without, you guessed it, cheese. Apparently the type of cheese you use on a Philly Cheesesteak is a big point of controversy. You're either on the provolone side or the Cheez Whiz side.
I opted for the more "natural" state of cheese and used provolone for this recipe. With a lean meat like venison, it can be difficult to not overcook the meat and still have that perfectly gooey melted cheese.
I like to add the cheese right after I mix in the Worcestershire sauce so that the meat can finish cooking and the cheese can melt at the same time. Layer the vegetables and cheesy meat on a toasted hoagie roll and top with spicy brown mustard.
The mustard is optional but adds a little kick to the sandwich that I really enjoy. Serve with some tater tots or homemade potato chips and your favorite beer and dig in!
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to me and fellow readers. And if you want more delicious wild game recipes, subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Recipe:
Venison Philly Cheesesteak
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lb venison sirloin roast
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, cut in half, then sliced
- 3 tablespoon lard, divided
- 5 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, divided
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 hoagie rolls
- butter (optional)
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- spicy brown mustard (optional)
Instructions
- Allow roast to thaw slightly under refrigeration. You want it to be mostly frozen but soft enough to cut through. Slice meat paper thin against the grain. Place slices of meat on a paper towel-lined sheet pan in a single layer. Cover and refrigerate until fully thawed.
- Heat cast iron griddle over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon lard to pan and spread it around so it coats the whole pan. Add peppers and onions and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook vegetables, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until softened and starting to brown. Add 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce and stir to coat vegetables. Cook 1 more minute. Remove from pan and set aside. Keep warm until ready to use.
- Butter insides of hoagie rolls if desired. Place on hot griddle, with the inside facing down, and toast for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
- Just before cooking, season meat slices with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoon lard to the hot griddle and spread it around. Add meat slices in a single layer to the griddle. You will probably have to cook it in 2 batches.
- Cook meat 1-2 minutes per side. Once meat is almost done cooking, move it all into a pile on the griddle and add 1 ½ tablespoon worcestershire sauce (3 tablespoon if you were able to fit all the meat on the griddle).
- Move meat into 4 even piles on the griddle. Top each pile with 2 slices provolone cheese. Continue cooking until melted, about 2 minutes.
- To each hoagie roll, add peppers and onions, and top with meat and cheese. Serve with spicy brown mustard if desired. Enjoy!
Steve G says
Thank you Annie, this recipe is 'da bomb. It was a special occasion, so I sliced up 1 1/2 good sized venison backstraps. The suggestion to use lard is a good one. And salting right before cooking is wise. The slices were laid out between paper towels on cookie pans, covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator overnight - then at cook time it was easy to pick up a paper towel sheet, flip it, & voila all the slices hit the cast iron skillet at once. It was pretty quiet at the table for a couple minutes while everyone devoured the Philly Cheesesteaks. Even my daughter-in-law who is not avid venison fan enjoyed the sandwich. Yummy!
Annie Weisz says
Thank you so much for your kind review, Steve! That's a great idea with the cookie sheets - thanks for sharing!
Heidy says
This Cheesesteak recipe was so yummy tasting! I sincerely am glad I found it on Facebook. We made them for our friends on Friday, and they even said it was excellent tasting. Have a great day!
Annie says
Thank you so much, Heidy! I'm so glad you and your friends enjoyed the recipe!!
Silvia says
This is a great variation on the traditional Philly cheesesteak. I remember having venison at a friend's house once. Where is your recommendation to buy it?
Annie says
If you're not able to hunt for venison yourself, I recommend looking for a sustainable producer near you.
Ksenia says
I think it’s so great to see a balance of both simple and fancy recipes! This cheesesteak really bounces both parts of the equation out with the use of venison meat, which makes this much more sustainable and special. The flavor and appearance were both great!
Annie says
Thank you so much, Ksenia! I try to make a balance of recipes that everyone will love!
Tammy says
I love this twist on the cheesesteak. Sounds amazing with venison and definitely one I need to try. So, so good..I'm hungry now!
Jamie says
I love this twist on Philly cheesesteak using venison! This is going to make an epic sandwich I'm sure my family will love!
Annie says
Thanks, Jamie! I hope you and your family love it!
Veronika says
This recipe looks amazing! Never had a cheese steak with venison before, cannot wait to try!
Annie says
Thank you, Veronika! I hope you love the recipe!
Bernice says
I don't cook a lot with wild game, once in while a friend will give us some elk, which is my favourite! I never thought about adding Worcestershire sauce to wild game but it really does match the bold flavours. Thanks for the tip!
Annie says
Elk is excellent, I agree! Worcestershire sauce is one of my favorite ingredients to use when cooking wild game. It adds so much flavor! Be sure to check out my elk recipes next time you get some! https://peaktoplate.com/wild-game-recipes/elk-recipes/
Marta says
I was gifted a whole side of venison from a friend who is an avid hunter. I hadn't yet seen recipes about sirloin roast that looked decent so I was excited to find yours. These philly cheesesteaks reminded me so much of the real thing, I think I may even like these more!
Annie says
That's awesome, Marta! I know you'll love these sandwiches. Be sure to check out my other venison recipes to use up the rest of what you have too! https://peaktoplate.com/wild-game-recipes/venison-recipes/
Ann says
What a great idea of using venison for this sandwich! My husband is an avid hunter, so this will be a great recipe to use up some of that meat!
Annie says
Thank you, Ann! This recipe is a great way to use up venison, even for those who don't normally like the taste!
Gloria says
This sounds like an interesting twist on a classic sandwich. I have never tried venison. This sounds like a great idea.