AHot Brown sandwich (sometimes known as a Louisville Hot BrownorKentucky Hot Brown) is an American hot sandwich originally created at the Brown HotelinLouisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It is a variation of traditional Welsh rarebit and was one of two signature sandwiches created by chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923. It was created to serve as an alternative to ham and egg late-night dinners.[1]
Some Hot Browns also include ham with the turkey, and either pimentosortomatoes over the sauce,[4] and imitation Hot Browns sometimes substitute a commercial cheese sauce instead of the Mornay.[5]
When Fred K. Schmidt created the Hot Brown, its sliced roast turkey was a rarity, as turkey was usually reserved for holiday feasts. The original Hot Brown included the sliced turkey on an open-faced whitetoast sandwich, with Mornay sauce covering it, with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, completed by being oven-broiled until bubbly. Pimento and bacon strips were then added to it. After its debut, it quickly became the choice of 95% of the Brown Hotel's restaurant customers.[1][3]
The dish is a local specialty and favorite of the Louisville area, and is popular throughout Kentucky. It was long unavailable at its point of origin, as the Brown Hotel was shuttered from 1971 to 1985.[1]
InSt. Louis, the Prosperity Sandwich is a similar dish, with origins at the Mayfair Hotel in the 1920s.[6] It is still served in the area today, and sometimes called a "hot brown".[7]
OnPBS, the Hot Brown has been featured in the documentary Sandwiches That You Will Like[15] as well as the program The Mind of a Chef, where Chef David Chang presented his interpretation of the sandwich.[16]
This open faced sandwich was also mentioned in the movie Into the Sun