Louisville Restaurant Roast Beef Version of Hot Brown
The classic Hot Brown sandwich and the lobby of the Brown Hotel in Louisville
K entucky, famous for its horse races, burgoo, and bourbon, is also home to the classic American dish the Hot Brown sandwich. An open-face sandwich that layers sliced turkey, Mornay sauce, bacon, and tomatoes atop thick-cut toast, the Hot Brown was invented in Louisville's Brown Hotel in 1926 by the hotel's chef at the time, Fred K. Schmidt. Back then, the hotel drew 1,200 guests a night for dinner and dancing, and Schmidt dreamed up the Hot Brown as a rich, satisfying alternative to ham and eggs for the hotel's popular late-night snack menu. We caught up with the hotel's current executive chef, Laurent Géroli, who shared his insider tips for sandwich-making success.
Epicurious: What's the most popular menu item at any of the bars or restaurants in the hotel?
Laurent Géroli: The Hot Brown is without a doubt the most popular item on the menu. It becomes more popular around the time of the Derby, but it's really an attraction year-round. People love the historic aspect of the sandwich and enjoying it at the place where it was invented. It's something that people specifically come to the hotel for, and it makes me feel special to be a part of that history and our guests' memories of eating the sandwich.
Epi: How many Hot Browns do you sell on average?
LG: We sell more than 800 hot brown sandwiches a week, and that's just during the regular season. The sandwich definitely becomes more popular around the time of the Derby. Two years ago, we sold 1,200 Hot Browns in three days during the week of the Derby—and that was just for breakfast and lunch. Guests can order the sandwich from 6 a.m. to midnight, and it's served at the English Grill, in the lobby bar, and from room service.
Epi: Has the original Hot Brown recipe changed at all since 1926?
LG: The recipe has stayed almost identical. The one thing I do differently is that I add heavy cream to the béchamel sauce—in addition to the milk—so it has a richer taste.
Epi: Can you walk us through the process of how you make a Hot Brown sandwich?
LG: We start by roasting whole turkey breasts until they reach 155°F, and then we let them rest outside the oven until they come to 165°F. For the bread, we use Texas toast, and cut each slice to about 1 1/2 inches thick. The bread tastes a bit like brioche, so it adds a little sweetness. Then we slice the bread diagonally to make triangular toasts, which we top with a 1-inch-thick slice of turkey. Next is the tomato quarters and Mornay sauce, which is made with cream, milk, roux, and Pecorino Romano cheese.
It's important that the Mornay sauce not be too hot, otherwise it'll be too runny. We like to keep it at a temperature of about 100°F, so that when you ladle it atop the turkey it'll be a bit thicker. Then the whole sandwich goes in the oven and the sauce melts all over the turkey. Finally, we top it off with a few slices of thick-cut bacon and garnish with chopped parsley, shredded Pecorino Romano cheese, and paprika.
Epi: What's your number one tip for a great-tasting Hot Brown?
LG: It's important that you roast your own turkey breast so that you have very moist meat. And it's also important to make the Mornay sauce with Pecorino cheese, rather than Parmesan, which is too acidic for the sauce.
Epi: How do you approach eating a Hot Brown?
LG:You definitely don't want to try to pick it up like any other sandwich. It's best eaten with a knife and fork so that you get a piece of each ingredient in every bite.
Epi: Do you ever cook with Kentucky bourbon?
LG: Many chefs use a lot of wine or brandy when they cook, but bourbon has such a distinctive taste, so it works wonderfully in sauces, adding both flavor and color. Six years ago, before I started working in Louisville, I'd never tried cooking with bourbon, but now I cook with it all the time.
Epi: What's your favorite dish to make with bourbon?
LG: I make a striped bass dish with green peppercorn sauce made with Maker's 46 [bourbon]. I like to first caramelize the fish, and then I add carrots and onions and deglaze the pan with the bourbon, which turns into a pan sauce. I call it Peppercorn Bourbon 46 Sauce. That name alone grabs people's attention.
Epi: What other foods pair well with bourbon?
LG: I like pairing the bourbon with other proteins like scallops and pork belly. I start by braising pork belly in chicken stock and bourbon for three hours in the oven, so the meat really gets infused with the liquor. And then I sear the scallops and deglaze the pan with bourbon, just for a touch of the flavor. I serve the pork belly and scallops with carrots and an apple-ginger reduction.
Epi: Do you feature any special dishes at the hotel around the time of the Kentucky Derby?
LG: Every year the Kentucky Oaks race is held on the Friday before the Derby, and the winner of that race gets a big blanket of pink lilies, so I always like to have a pink-colored dessert on the menu as part of the celebration. We usually make a mousse cake coated in white chocolate that's been dyed pink, and we plate it with fresh raspberries.
Photos: Courtesy of The Brown Hotel
See more on the Kentucky Derby:
- Epicurious' Complete Kentucky Derby Guide ›
- A recipe for the Hot Brown Sandwich ›
- Cooking with Bourbon Slideshow ›
- A Guide to Bourbon and Our Favorite Bottles ›
- Derby Day Food & Drink Slideshow ›
Source: https://www.epicurious.com/archive/holidays/kentucky/hot-brown-sandwich-brown-hotel
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