Horseshoe Sandwich

Springfield Horseshoe Sandwich with Cheddar-Beer Sauce

A Springfield, Illinois classic: open-faced toasted bread topped with a meat patty, a pile of crispy steak-cut fries, and a sharp cheddar–beer sauce ladled over the top at the last minute.

Prep

15 min

Cook

35 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •8 slice (about 2 cm thick) (8 slices) Texas toast or pain de mie bread, thick-sliced; pull-apart Texas toast works well
• •450 g (1 lb) ground beef (80/20), or substitute thick-cut sliced ham, breaded pork tenderloin, or grilled chicken
• •680 g (1½ lb) russet potatoes, for steak-cut fries; can substitute frozen shoestring fries
• •710 ml (3 cups) neutral oil, for frying, such as peanut or canola
• •60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
• •40 g (⅓ cup) all-purpose flour
• •240 ml (1 cup) lager or pale ale, room temperature; use a beer you would drink
• •360 ml (1½ cups) whole milk or half-and-half, half-and-half yields a richer sauce
• •225 g (8 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, grated, grate from a block; pre-shredded melts poorly
• •1 tsp dry mustard
• •1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) smoked paprika
• •0.25 tsp (¼ tsp) cayenne pepper, adjust to taste
• •1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for fries and beef
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced, or pickled jalapeño slices for garnish

Steps

1. 1 Peel potatoes and cut into 1 cm (⅜ in) thick steakhouse planks, or into 1 cm batons for shoestring. Soak in cold water 20 minutes; drain and pat very dry.
2. 2 Heat 5–7 cm (2–3 in) of oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven to 160°C / 325°F. Fry potatoes in small batches 4–5 minutes until pale and just tender; remove and drain on a rack. (This is the blanch.)
3. 3 Raise oil to 190°C / 375°F. Return fries in batches and fry 3–5 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Drain on a rack, season immediately with kosher salt while hot.
4. 4 Meanwhile, season the ground beef with salt and pepper. Form into 4 thin patties, slightly larger than the bread slices (they will shrink).
5. 5 Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium-high. Sear patties 2–3 minutes per side to an internal temperature of 71°C / 160°F for medium. Remove and tent loosely with foil. Rest at least 3 minutes.
6. 6 Make the cheese sauce: melt the 60 g butter in a saucepan over medium. Whisk in the 40 g flour and cook 2 minutes, whisking, until foamy and pale blonde — do not brown.
7. 7 Whisk in the beer and let it bubble and reduce by about half, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk or half-and-half and cook, whisking, until the base thickens enough to coat a spoon, 3–4 minutes. It should be a pourable, light gravy consistency.
8. 8 Off the heat, whisk in the dry mustard, smoked paprika, cayenne, Worcestershire, salt, and black pepper. Add the grated cheddar a handful at a time, whisking until smooth between additions. Keep warm over very low heat, whisking occasionally; if it tightens, loosen with a splash of warm beer or milk.
9. 9 Toast the bread: butter one side lightly and toast in a skillet or under the broiler until deeply golden on both sides. Place one slice per plate, buttered side up.
10. 10 Top each slice with a beef patty (or ham slice, pork tenderloin, or chicken). Mound a generous pile of hot fries over the meat so they blanket it and spill onto the plate.
11. 11 Ladle the cheese sauce hot over the fries and meat just before serving — ladle generously, since the sauce is part of the signature of a real horseshoe. Garnish with sliced scallion or pickled jalapeño and serve immediately with a beer.