There is controversy in the world of horseshoes beyond white cheese or yellow after this past weekend’s World Horseshoe Cookoff.  The winner in several categories Lindsay’s was disqualified for using their own kitchen instead of the kitchen at the Convention Center.  The SJ-R has complete coverage HERE.  It’s not clear why they were disqualified after the fact from the article.  For the sake of clarity for non-locals, Lindsay’s is located adjacent to the Convention Center while most of the other competitors are from other parts of town so it was easier for them to use their own kitchen than it would have been for other competitors.

The World Horseshoe Cook-off was held yesterday outside the Prairie Capitol Convention Center and nine restaurants participated.  There is a story about it in the State Journal-Register HERE and they have a couple of pictures.  There were winners in 4 categories.

Best Breakfast Shoe  – Lindsay’s Restaurant

Best Desert Shoe  – Amber Jack Alehouse

Crazy Horse Shoe – Lindsay’s Restaurant

Best Classic Shoe  – D’Arcy’s Pint

Best Overall Shoe  – Lindsay’s Restaurant

I made it out to the event with my family but by the time we arrived (5 pm) there were no shoes left to eat and the restaurant tents were gone or leaving so I don’t have nearly the report I was hoping to have.

Clearly, if you are looking for a horseshoe Springfield Illinois is the place to be.  However, the horseshoe can be found in many surrounding communities as well.  The further you get from Springfield the less likely you are to find a restaurant selling horseshoes.  This limitation doesn’t apply to horseshoe lovers though.   Throughout the US, former residents of Springfield are making horseshoes in their own homes and sharing them with friends and neighbors, most of whom probably think they are crazy.  They think that until the first bite at least.  If you are reading this and have an interesting story about spreading the horseshoe news around, please comment.  We’d love to hear your story.

There is some degree of controversy surrounding the invention of the horseshoe sandwich.  It is undisputed that it was created in the first half of the 20th century in Springfield, Illinois.  The most widely accepted version credits chef Joe Schweska at the Leland Hotel in Springfield in the late 1920’s.  The story goes that the original horseshoe was so named primarily because it was served with a boned slice of ham which was horseshoe shaped.  It had the same ingredients that we still enjoy today, bread, meat, sliced potatoes and of course cheese sauce. 

Here is a  cool now and then picture of the Leland Hotel.

http://www.springfieldrewind.com/leland-hotel-1950

And here is another discussion of the history over at What’s Cooking America

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Sandwiches/HorseshoeSandwich.htm

Realizing that not every customer could, should, or would want an entire horseshoe for every meal, enterprising cooks developed the ponyshoe.  The ponyshoe is simply a smaller version of the horseshoe.  On a typical pony, you get one piece of toast, one piece of meat (some places serve two with a horse) and fewer fries.  The price is usually about $1 less for a ponyshoe than for the same type of horseshoe.  At many restaurants, a ponyshoe is server on a round dinner plate and a horseshoe is server on an oval platter.

The Barrel Head horseshoe dwarfs the ponsyshoe

Anyone can eat a horseshoe, just chew and swallow.  Not everyone can finish a horseshoe, however.  They aren’t a diet food to be sure.  In order to fit in while dining in Springfield, you need to know how to eat a horseshoe.  The horseshoe is different from most sandwiches because it is eaten with a fork. 

Most people pick off a few fries by hand when the sandwich first arrives as the cheese sauce is usually really hot.  The number of hand eatable fries is largely dependent on the restaurant that you are eating at.  The heavy lifting with a horseshoe is standard fork fare.  Use the fork to pick up some fries.  Use the fork to slice the meat and bread.  Be sure to mop up any extra cheese sauce.

There are other ways to eat a horseshoe, but if you want to look like a local, stick with the routine.  Pick off some fries, fork some fries, cut the meat and bread and don’t leave any cheese behind.

Welcome to the first and only blog devoted to the world famous horseshoe sandwich!  What, you may be asking, is the world famous horseshoe sandwich?  Or maybe if it’s world famous, why don’t I already know about it?  Hopefully we can be of some assistance. 

What is it?  Aside from apple pie, the horseshoe is the finest conglomeration of food ever assembled.  We call it a sandwich, but the label doesn’t do it justice.  It’s so much more and so much less. 

At its most basic, a horseshoe sandwich consists of two pieces of white toast covered by two pieces of sliced ham covered by a heaping portion of french fries covered by cheese sauce.

What happens from there is up to the cooks imagination.  Crinkle fries or steak fries?  Texas toast or bread?  White cheese or yellow cheese?

In the coming weeks and months, we’ll provide content related to all the different variations of horseshoes.  In the interest of science, we will consume numerous horseshoes and review them on the blog.  Our location in the very heart of ‘Horseshoe Country’ – Springfield, Illinois means it won’t be hard to find them.

Again, welcome to the home of the horseshoe sandwich!

Adam