Horseshoe Sandwiches

The signature food of Springfield, Illinois is a sandwich known as a

horseshoe. It has been credited t

o a chef that worked at the Leland Hotel in 1928 and has become Springfield's

most famous contribution

to the world of food. It consists of two hamburgers on two slices of toast,

covered with cheddar cheese

sauce and buried beneath a mound of French fries.

Recipe courtesy the Leland Hotel, Springfield, Illinois.



~~~Welsh Rarebit Sauce~~~

2 TB salted butter

1/2 cup beer

2 egg yolks

3 cups grated Old English or other sharp white Cheddar cheese

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

Salt



~~~Sandwich~~~

1-1/2 lb. ground beef

Salt and freshly ground pepper

8 slices toasted thick white bread

2 lb. cooked French fries



TO MAKE THE SAUCE:

Set up a double boiler or set a medium-sized stainless-steel bowl over a pot

of simmering water. Check

to make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Melt the

butter in the double boiler and then

add the beer. While constantly whisking, slowly incorporate the egg yolks.

Add the cheese and stir constantly

until melted and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon: this

should take 5 to 8 minutes. Add

the Worcestershire and mustard. Season the sauce with salt to taste. To avoid

a stringy sauce, it is important

to constantly stir the cheese and be sure that the water is not boiling, but

rather simmering.



TO COOK THE BEEF:

Season the beef with the salt and pepper and form it into eight 6-ounce

patties. Heat a large nonstick skillet

over medium-high heat or set up an electric grill, and cook the patties, a

few at a time, 5 minutes per side

for medium.



TO ASSEMBLE THE DISH:

For each serving, place two slices of the toast on a large plate and top each

with a patty. Pour the rarebit sauce

over the beef and top the sauce with French fries. Serve immediately.



Serves: 4