Skip to main content

Cheese Sauce

2.7

(13)

The Grilling Guru has a moral dilemma. To be strictly faithful to Louis' Lunch, he should tell you to top your hamburger with a liquid processed cheese, like Cheez Whiz. The Grilling Guru doesn't use Cheez Whiz himself, however, so he feels awkward about calling for it. So he's created a made-from-scratch cheese sauce that will satisfy the purist, while remaining faithful to the lurid orange cheese topping used by Louis'.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients

1/2 clove garlic
1 cup beer
2 cups (about 8 ounces) coarsely grated Colby cheese or orange cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    1. Rub the bottom and side of a heavy saucepan with the cut garlic. Place the garlic clove in the pan, add the beer, and bring to a boil over high heat.

    Step 2

    2. Meanwhile, place the cheese and cornstarch in a bowl and toss to mix. Sprinkle the cheese into the boiling beer, stirring it with a wooden spoon. Let the sauce come back to a boil; it will thicken.

    Step 3

    3. Reduce the heat slightly, stir in the mustard, and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer gently until smooth and rich-tasting, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring steadily with the wooden spoon. The purist can fish out and discard the garlic clove; otherwise, one lucky person will get to eat it.

Reprinted with permission from BBQ USA: 425 Fiery Recipes From All Across America, © 2003, by Steven Raichlen, Workman Publishing
Read More
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
The secret to flavorful, never-greasy eggplant parm? Brine the eggplant first.
Like crispy gnocchi caprese and raspberry—brown butter skillet cake.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
Like hot honey chicken with peaches and a dirty martini spritz.
Just as great with coffee for breakfast as it is with amaro for dessert.
Use this simple vinaigrette to dress a plate of greens, some steamed potatoes, or anything else that strikes your fancy.
Chopped kimchi and soy sauce transform mellow tuna salad into your new favorite riff on the classic diner sandwich.