Don't forget the beaten biscuits
Horse sense: How to throw the world's best Kentucky Derby party
Photo by Richard Lovrich
Photo by Matt Stone
Urban Green's already had their's at Hermann Park, now you can throw your own Derby party at home.
I put in a call to my personal Kentucky Derby authority, my mother, to ask about the necessities. She grew up in Louisville and has attended more than a dozen Derby races — we've got the glasses to prove it.
Here's what a Derby queen says you'll need for an authentic Kentucky party:
Beaten Biscuits topped with slivers of country ham. Beaten biscuits are named as such because you once had to beat dough to make it rise in the days before baking soda and baking powder. These biscuits are flat and dense, crispy and delicious.
Cheese Grits are hard to screw up, but if you need some assistance, the Breakfast Klub makes the best in town.
Burgoo, which is served at Keeneland, is a thick chicken stew, although my momma says the real stuff's got squirrel mixed in.
Hot Brown Sandwiches, named after the Brown Hotel, are turkey and bacon sandwiches with Mornay sauce served on toast.
Mint Juleps are simple to make — just mint, bourbon, sugar and water — but they're not authentic unless they're served in a sterling silver Julep cup, "preferably monogrammed," according to mom.
You're off to the races. Just make sure not to blow the whole thing by mispronouncing the name. It's LOO-uh-vull, not Lewie-ville, darlins'.
