Horseshoe sandwich
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The horseshoe sandwich originated in Springfield, Illinois. This open-faced sandwich begins with thick-sliced sourdough bread, toasted and a couple of hamburger patties or ham. It is then topped with french fries and smothered with a “secret” cheese sauce. With its many variations, it is a local favorite not often found outside Central Illinois.
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[edit] History
Local lore places the horseshoe's creation in two different kitchens. In one history of this legendary sandwich, the dish was first made by Joe Schweska and a collaborator at the Leland Hotel in 1928. Another story attributes the sandwich to Steve Tomko at Wayne’s Red Coach Inn around the same time. The reason for the sandwich's inception may have been as a tribute to the many horsemen that frequented one of these hotels or might possibly have been the end result of some leftover cheese sauce that ended up on an often ordered chopped steak sandwich. Others say it was named for the shape of the ham that was originally one of its ingredients with the fries representing the nails.
Most recently, the horseshoe was featured on Al Roker's Roker on the Road with Food Network. Springfield's D'Arcy's Pint showed the rest of America their version of the shoe.
[edit] The Most Common Ingredients
For the sandwich:
- 2 slices of toasted sourdough bread
- 2 hamburger patties
- 1 large mound of french fries (shoestring variety)
For the Welsh rarebit sauce:
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup beer
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 cups grated Old English or other sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- salt
Ingredients from www.cooking.com, provided by the Leland Hotel.
[edit] Variations
Most often, the horseshoe is served with hamburger patties. However, many restaurants will also dish up the sandwich with ham, turkey, chicken (fried, grilled, or buffalo-basted), or corned beef. Less common concoctions include tomatoes, sautéed vegetables, fish, shrimp, or crawfish. Commonly, the "secret" cheese sauce used is Welsh rarebit, but many have been known to go with the more common cheddar cheese sauce.
In some eateries, you’ll find a breakfast shoe with an English muffin, bacon, eggs, and homefries with the option of having gravy sauce (of the likes of biscuits and gravy) as opposed to the traditional cheese. There is also a smaller version of the sandwich called the ponyshoe, which is only one piece of Texas toast with a single hamburger patty or serving of meat.
