While there are many pretenders to the throne,- Pat Olivieri, the self-proclaimed "King of Steaks", is widely believed to have invented the Philadelphia Cheese Steak sandwich during the Depression days of 1932.As the story goes, Olivieri grew tired f eating hot dogs day after day at his South Philly hot dog stand. So, one day he threw a few thin slices of steak and some onions on the griddle, and piled it all into a hot dog roll. A passing cab driver smelled the aroma of steak and offered to buy the sandwich for a whopping 10 cents. Word of Pat's creation began to spread and his quick lunch was soon transformed into a Philadelphia institution. Olivieri's stand later became Pat's King of Steaks. By the 1940s, cheese was added to the sandwich, and by the '50s, stars such as Bogart and Sinatra discovered cheese steak and spread the word across the country. Today, Rick Olivieri, Pat's grandson, operates Rick's Steaks in Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market. While the cheese steak is now a part of Americana there are many versions that aren't authentic, such as those using sauteed bell peppers. Here are some tips for preparing the "classic" version of the sandwich. 1. The secret of a tender cheese steak is in the slicing. Olivieri starts with a special cut of frozen beef which he "tempers" by holding it at 38 degress for 17 hours. This partially thawed product can be easily sliced on a meat slicer into uniform one eighth inch thick slices. The slices are weighed, portioned, and held under refrigeration until service. 2. Diced onions are slowly cooked on a flattop griddle and then held over low heat. He then cooks each five-ounce steak portion to order. Sprinkle a little water on the meat to aid in the cooking process and keep meat from sticking to the griddle. 3. When the meat is just cooked through and no traces of pink remain, it is layered with grilled onions on a soft Italian-style sub or hoagie roll that has been split and warmed briefly on the griddle and coated with cheese. Olivieri offers either American cheese, provolone, mozzarella, Cheez-Whiz(reg), or pepper jack. "Rick's Way" How does the Prince like his cheese steak? "Whiz, onions, hot peppers, and ketchup!"