If you believe Hunter S. Thompson, the Kentucky Derby is decadent and depraved, and you could say the same about Louisville's hot brown sandwich. Since I'm not watching the ponies run today, I might as well pay tribute to this fork-and-knife sandwich feast.
Like Springfield, IL's horseshoe sandwich, this over-the-top open-face sandwich was invented during one of history's most indulgent periods: the roaring '20s of Prohibition. According to Louisville's Brown Hotel, the hot brown was dreamed up by Chef Fred Schmidt to feed the hundreds of dinner guests who would dance into the wee hours of morning then come into the restaurant for late-night eats.
The result: thick-sliced bread topped with roasted turkey, bacon, and Mornay sauce, then cooked in the broiler until the top layer of cheese is browned and bubbly. Really like a more sophisticated version of the French fry-covered horseshoe. I have yet to try one, but one of these days, I hope to devour a hot brown in its hometown. Have you?
In my mind, I've always grouped Illinois's horseshoe sandwich alongside Kentucky's famous hot brown. Both are open-face sandwiches so decadent you have to eat them with a fork, and both emerged during Prohibition to fill the booze-soaked bellies of late-night revelers. Check out this fun video on the sandwich from the Wall Street Journal.
Of course, when it comes to decadence, the roaring '20s ain't got nothing on today's cooks: restaurants in Springfield are engaged in an unofficial competition to see who can make the horseshoe eve unhealthier. Two words: deep fried.
I'd opt for the simplicity of the old-school horseshoe: an open-face sandwich featuring bread, ham, French fries, and cheese sauce. Originally, it also featured egg — yum. The sandwich gets its name from the horseshoe-shaped piece of ham and potato wedges that resemble nails. It's like a cross between the mornay sauce-covered hot brown and the famous French fry-laden sandwiches peddled at Primanti Brothers in Pittsburgh. A calorie bomb, to be sure, but worth trying for the historical significance, right?
Latest Comments