Cow brain sandwiches

You could take out the word 'still' and I'll still be creeped out:

Cow brain sandwiches still on the menu [CNN]

EVANSVILLE, Indiana (AP) -- Fear of mad cow disease hasn't kept Cecelia Coan from eating her beloved deep-fried cow-brain sandwiches.

She's more concerned about cholesterol than suffering the brain-wasting disease found in a cow in Washington state last month.

"I think I'll have hardening of the arteries before I have mad cow disease," said Coan, picking up a brain sandwich to go during her lunch hour this week. "This is better than snail, better than sushi, better than a lot of different delicacies."

The brains, coated with egg, seasoning and flour, puff up when cooked. They are served hot, heaping outside the bun.

The sandwiches trace their heritage to a time when immigrants to southern Indiana wasted little after arriving from Germany and Holland. Some families have their own recipes passed down through generations.

Problems with the cow brain supply apparently mean that some will have to switch to pork brains, but see, that's OK since the flavor comes mostly from the batter.

<shudder>     8 comment(s)  

I think it's funny that eating cow brains sounds gross to us, but that we eat cow muscles so much that we have dozens of words for the different cuts and styles of preparation. (And somewhere in there is a joke about where you were the day god handed out cow brains.)
      ...posted by Seth on January 17, 2004 3:20 PM

Yes yes, I'm a funny Iowa bumpkin.

Muscle is where the meat is.
      ...posted by Steve B. on January 17, 2004 3:33 PM

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran a story this week about some local places that pulled brains from their menus. It mentions that in 1999 Gourmet magazine called brain sandwiches a signature dish for St. Louis, along with toasted ravioli and gooey butter cake. I'll stick with the gooey butter cake.
      ...posted by Scott on January 17, 2004 3:34 PM

I can't believe you lived here as long as you did and never had a brain sandwich. It's practically a collegiate rite of passage, or so I thought. Perhaps I'm just old. Anyway, them's good eatin'.
      ...posted by TheBrad on January 17, 2004 5:01 PM

Steve, thanks for the little trip down memory lane. My grandmother, who grew up in Columbus, Indiana, absolutely LOVED brain sandwiches. She's been gone for nearly 20 years, but were she still alive, she'd have the same attitude as Ceceila Coan. Nothing could keep her away from those things. When my dad was a boy, Grandma sometimes sent him into the local tavern to pick up sandwiches for her - in those days, it was more socially acceptable for a 10-12 year-old boy to enter the tavern than it was for a Lady to go in alone.

(In case you're wondering, neither she nor Grandpa could ever coax any of their grandchildren into trying them.)
      ...posted by Elle on January 17, 2004 7:38 PM

Born and raised in StL. Never heard of brain sandwiches until a month ago. Putting that in the same sentence as toasted ravioli and gooey butter cake just seems wrong. (What- no mention of Ted Drewes Frozen Custard?!)
      ...posted by Chris on January 18, 2004 12:10 PM

Hm, I never heard of brain sandwiches, but my grandmother used to make us eggs n' brains for breakfast when I was a little girl. It was basically scrambled eggs with odd little blue chunks in it. I wasn't a particular fan...
      ...posted by JenB on January 20, 2004 5:43 PM

Ew man that is gross. Actually has anyone watched The Glutton Bowl on Fox that was on a while ago. The last contest was to eat as many cow brains as possible. And some small Japanese dude ended up eating like 30 cow brains or something. It was crazy!
      ...posted by web hosting on January 25, 2004 5:43 PM

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