Fried-brain sandwich
Encyclopedia
A fried-brain sandwich is generally a sandwich
with sliced calves' brain
s on sliced bread
. Thinly sliced fried
slabs on white toast
became ubiquitous on menus in St. Louis, Missouri
, after the rise of the city's stockyards in the late 1880s, although demand there has so dwindled that only a handful of restaurants still offer them. But they remain popular in the Ohio River
valley, where they are served heavily battered on hamburger buns. In Evansville, Indiana
, they are still offered at a couple of "mom and pop" eateries, specifically the Hilltop Inn, and remain a favorite dish, featured at the city's annual West Side Nut Club Fall Festival
.
Increased incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE), otherwise known as mad cow disease, since the late 20th century will likely further diminish the remaining appeal of this curious regional dish. Brains from cows over 30 months old at slaughter are no longer permitted in human food in the United States (Hefling, 2004). Some restaurants have taken to serving pigs' brains instead of cows' brains due to BSE
concerns. But as pigs' brains are substantially smaller than cows' brains, the amount of preparation required for each sandwich increases. Each brain must be cleaned before being sliced and pigs' brains produce fewer slices.
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
with sliced calves' brain
Beef brain
Beef brains and veal or calf's brains are used in the cuisines of France; Italy; El Salvador; Mexico, etc. where they are called sesos in Spanish and are eaten in tacos and quesadillas; Pakistan, where they are known in Urdu as Maghaz; Portugal; Indonesia; and in the United States, especially in St...
s on sliced bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
. Thinly sliced fried
Frying
Frying is the cooking of food in oil or another fat, a technique that originated in ancient Egypt around 2500 BC. Chemically, oils and fats are the same, differing only in melting point, but the distinction is only made when needed. In commerce, many fats are called oils by custom, e.g...
slabs on white toast
Toast
Toast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...
became ubiquitous on menus in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, after the rise of the city's stockyards in the late 1880s, although demand there has so dwindled that only a handful of restaurants still offer them. But they remain popular in the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
valley, where they are served heavily battered on hamburger buns. In Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
, they are still offered at a couple of "mom and pop" eateries, specifically the Hilltop Inn, and remain a favorite dish, featured at the city's annual West Side Nut Club Fall Festival
West Side Nut Club Fall Festival
Evansville's West Side Nut Club Fall Festival is held the first full week of every October on Franklin Street in Evansville, Indiana by Evansville's West Side Nut Club. It draws approximately 150,000 people each year....
.
Increased incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
(BSE), otherwise known as mad cow disease, since the late 20th century will likely further diminish the remaining appeal of this curious regional dish. Brains from cows over 30 months old at slaughter are no longer permitted in human food in the United States (Hefling, 2004). Some restaurants have taken to serving pigs' brains instead of cows' brains due to BSE
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
concerns. But as pigs' brains are substantially smaller than cows' brains, the amount of preparation required for each sandwich increases. Each brain must be cleaned before being sliced and pigs' brains produce fewer slices.
See also
- Barbacoa de cabeza
- Eggs and brainsEggs and brainsEggs 'n' brains is a breakfast meal consisting of pork brains and scrambled eggs. It is a dish of the Portuguese cuisine known as Omolete de Mioleira...
- Beef brainBeef brainBeef brains and veal or calf's brains are used in the cuisines of France; Italy; El Salvador; Mexico, etc. where they are called sesos in Spanish and are eaten in tacos and quesadillas; Pakistan, where they are known in Urdu as Maghaz; Portugal; Indonesia; and in the United States, especially in St...
- CabezaCabezaCabeza, sometimes cabeça, is a Spanish word meaning "head". In Mexican cuisine, it is used to describe the meat from a roasted head of a cow, served as a taco or burrito filling....
- List of sandwiches