Pennsylvania’s Date of Statehood – December 12, 1787
Welcome to Pennsylvania! A beautiful state with lush farmlands, rolling mountains, and so much history. It also happens to be the birthplace of yours truly. Trying to pin down specific Pennsylvania cuisine is hard, since it is such a rich melting pot of immigrants. German, Italian, Slovak, Polish, Dutch, and so many more make up typical PA plates. So, to explore this state in one dinner, we are going to tell a tale of 2 cities, with some traditional Amish pie for dessert!
To the East lies Philadelphia, a bustling city that is known for the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and, of course, cheesesteak! To the West is Pittsburgh. A steel town that has grown to a prosperous city with beautiful rivers and amazing art. The Italian influence is strong here and one of the tastiest traditions is Italian wedding soup. And finally, you cannot go from one side of PA to the other without paying homage to the Pennsylvania Dutch. Amish cooking is homegrown, simple, and absolute delicious. Shoo fly pie is an Amish tradition that dates back to the Civil War, so it is not to be missed!
Tips and Tricks
- Use ribeye steak. It is more expensive than other cuts of beef, but the taste and texture is going to be better with ribeye. It is worth it.
- Ask your butcher, or the meat clerk at the grocery store, to shave the steak for you. They have the machinery to get paper thin slices and not waste a single ounce.
- If your grocery store will not shave the beef for you, then freeze the steak and then use a very sharp knife to cut the meat as thinly as possible.
- When making the meatballs for the soup (once the meat is added to the rest of the ingredients) don’t over work. Mix by hand and only enough to combine everything evenly. If you keep mixing, the meatballs will end up being tough.
- Don’t skip the chilling of the meatballs. This helps them set and stay together in the soup.
- After the meatballs have chilled for at least an hour, test 1. Boil a large pot of water over medium heat and cook 1 meatball for 15 minutes. Test to see if the meatball both stays together and is cooked all the way through. If the meatball comes apart in the water, then bake them in the oven. Heat the oven to 400 and bake the meatballs for 20-30 minutes. Then add the cooked meatballs to the soup with the orzo. If the meatball isn’t cooked though, add 5 more minutes to the boiling time and test again.
- In these recipes, use regular Olive Oil, NOT extra virgin olive oil. Extra Virgin Olive Oil has too low of a smoke point and your dishes will taste burned or acrid.
- If meatloaf mix is not available or you don’t eat pork, you can use 85% lean ground beef instead.
- You can make homemade pie crust if you want, but honestly the pre-made crust in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store works just fine and is much less hassle.
- A successful “wet bottom” shoo fly pie has about 2/3 cake-like layer on top and 1/3 wet, syrupy layer on the bottom.
Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
Serves 6
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Large White Onion, peeled, halved and very thinly sliced
- 2 1/2 lbs. Ribeye Steak, shaved very thin
- Salt and Pepper, to season the steak
- 3-4 Tbs Olive Oil
- Cheese Whiz (melted) or Provolone Cheese Slices
- 6 Crusty Italian Rolls, split lengthwise
- Dill Pickle Spears, for garnish
Step 1: Place a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add 2 Tbs Olive Oil to the pan. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the sliced onions and 1/4 tsp salt.
Step 2: Cook the onions, stirring only occasionally, until the onions are soft and start to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
Step 3: Place the pan back over medium heat and add 1 Tbs olive oil. Once the oil is hot it is time to cook the steak. It is best to do this in batches, so the meat gets even browning. Place enough steak in the pan to make a single layer and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the shaved steak for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it is lightly and evenly browned. Once the steak is cooked, remove it from the pan and cover it in foil while the rest of the meat is cooked. Repeat this until all of the steak is cooked.
Step 4: Once the steak is all cooked, divide the meat into sandwich portions in the skillet. Top each portion with onions and the cheese of your choice. Heat until the cheese is melted and then, using a wide spatula, transfer the meat and cheese from the skillet to an open sandwich roll.
Step 5: Serve hot with a dill pickle on the side.
Pittsburgh Italian Wedding Soup
Serves 8
Meatballs
- 2 Slices of White Bread, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 Cup Milk
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Handful Fresh Parsley, stems removed and finely chopped
- 3 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 lb. Meatloaf Mix (2/3 lbs. ground beef and 1/3 lb. ground pork)
Soup
- 1 Tbs Olive Oil
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 12 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 Head Curly Kale, stems removed and chopped
- 1 Cup Orzo Pasta
- Handful Fresh Parsley, stems removed and finely chopped
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Step 1: Place the cut up white bread in a large bowl and pour the 1/2 cup of milk over them. Using a potato masher, mash the bread and milk together until smooth.
Step 2: Add the egg yolk, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and oregano to the bread/milk mixture and mash until the contents are well combined.
Step 3: Add the meatloaf mix to the bowl and, using your hands, mix until everything is well combined.
Step 4: Once everything is well combined, form the meatball mixture into small, 1-inch meatballs. You should get 60-65 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a rimmed baking tray, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
Step 5: Once the meatballs have firmed up, it is time to make the soup. Place a large pot over medium-low heat. Once the pot is hot, add 1 Tbs olive oil and heat until shimmering. Once the oil is ready, add the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently until the garlic starts to turn a light brown and becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic burn.
Step 6: Once the garlic is toasted, add the 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes and give everything 1 good stir before adding the chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the broth to a boil.
Step 7: Once boiling, add the chopped kale to the pot, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until the kale is soft, stirring occasionally.
Step 8: Reduce the heat to medium, add the meatballs, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 9: After 10 minutes, add the orzo pasta, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Step 10: After the meatballs have cooked through and the pasta is tender, stir in the fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Step 11: Serve hot.
Amish Shoo Fly Pie
Serves 8 (or 1 if you really like pie)
- 1/2 Cup Molasses
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 Cup Boiling Water
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Cup Flour
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 3 Tbs Lard
- 1 Piece of Pre-made Pie Crust
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Step 2: Place the pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan, gently pressing the dough into the pan.
Step 3: Dissolve the 1/2 tsp into the 1/2 cup of boiling water.
Step 4: In a large bowl, combine the molasses, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, and the hot water/baking soda. Whisk until the syrup is thoroughly combined.
Step 5: In a separate bowl, whisk together the 1 Cup of Flour and 1/3 Cup Brown sugar. Add the 3 Tbs of lard to the flour mixture and, using your hands, rub the lard into the dry ingredients until it is well combined.
Step 6: Pour half of the molasses mixture into the pie crust. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over molasses. Then, pour the remaining molasses mixture into the pie crust and top with the remaining flour mixture.
Step 7: Carefully place the pie in the hot oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 50 minutes. Check the crust after about 15 minutes of baking time. If the visible crust is already a dark brown, cover the edges with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
Step 8: Once the pie is baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Fun Facts about Pennsylvania: 1. In 1909 the first baseball stadium was built in Pittsburgh. 2. In 1946 Philadelphia became home to the first computer. 3. The first daily newspaper was published in Philadelphia on Sept. 21, 1784. 4. The Rockville Bridge in Harrisburg is the longest stone arch bridge in the world. 5. Kennett Square is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World. 6. Benjamin Franklin founded the Philadelphia Zoo, the first public zoo in the United States. 7. Actor Jimmy Stewart was born and raised in the town of Indiana. Each year at Christmas the downtown area is decorated in the theme of the film “It’s a Wonderful Life”. 8. The Borough of Kane is known as the Black Cherry Capital of the World.
Edible U.S. 