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Big Cheese Squeeze

There are times (your team just lost by a lousy field goal) when our appetites should be free to comfort us without having to bow to the culinary censorship of our consciousness. What could possibly get us through the winters of our discontent like the warm embrace of melted cheese nestled between perfectly crisped bookends of toast? That's right: nothing.

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats Episode: For Whom the Cheese Melts

Photo: Big Cheese Squeeze

TOTAL TIME: --
Prep: --
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: --
 
YIELD:
LEVEL: Easy

ingredients

  • 2 slices of bread, cut thin (as far as bread selection goes, all I'll say is the bigger the loaf the bigger the sandwich)
  • 1 teaspoon (or more) smooth Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup grated cheese (This is the soul of the thing, so use the good stuff. We like a semi-hard, semi-soft combo like smoked gouda and Gruyere or Fontina with a young Asiago. If you're a purist, go for the Cheddar, but make it sharp and aged if possible.
  • Good quality olive oil for spritzing.
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Directions

Find 2 heavy skillets that will nest together. Two (10-inch) cast iron skillets are ideal. Heat them over high heat.
Meanwhile, spread mustard on one slice of bread. Distribute the cheese evenly over the mustard, season with fresh black pepper and top with second piece of bread.
Spritz the bread surface that's staring up at you with olive oil using either a Misto or a pump sprayer. A light coat will do, don't soak.
When the pans are hot enough to vigorously sizzle a drop of water, remove them from the heat and place the sandwich, top-side down in the middle of one pan. (if your pans are a different size, this would be the larger one.) Spritz the slice now facing you, as well as the bottom of the other skillet. Lay the skillet right on top of the sandwich. If the top pan isn't cast iron, weigh it down with a brick, can, or something of similar heft.
Wait patiently, crack a beer. When you hear the first bit of cheese run out and sizzle on the pan, it's done. This will take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes.
Carefully remove the top skillet, (you may need to coax it off with a spatula, but I doubt it). Just look at it. It's perfect...better than mom's. (no reason to tell her)
Remove to a plate, count to 10 and slice it in half. Take a bite. Take another. So they lost ... there's always next year.

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  • on January 06, 2012

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    I personally love Alton and grilled chesse and never thought of cooking it like this thank you Alton for showing me this.

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