Feeds 4
When I first heard Southern friends talking about pimiento cheese in holy terms, I was confused. Did they mean that processed cheese spread with flecks of red peppers in the glass jar that my mother bought for parties in the 1970s? No, they did not. Our Southern friends and readers who requested this sandwich in droves longed for real pimiento cheese, an intoxicating spread of mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, and pimientos. Here’s the only problem: no one agrees on the right way to make it. Some folks like orange cheese and others like white. Some like grated onion and some want nothing to do with that. (I’m in that camp.) In the South, there’s a big fight over the bottled mayonnaise: Hellmann’s! No, Duke’s! Being new to this, we felt free to play here. We use homemade mayonnaise made of olive oil, extra sharp and sharp Cheddar cheeses, pimientos, and a tiny touch of our secret ingredient: fish sauce. Before you start yelling bloody hell at us, know that it adds an incredible savory taste without any fish taste. Promise. Take this stuff and make grilled cheese out of it? Oh man. I finally understand the fuss.
Make the pimiento cheese. Place the mayonnaise, pimiento, fish sauce, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Stir them together well. Stir in the extra-sharp Cheddar cheese and sharp Cheddar cheese. Refrigerate overnight.
Make the sandwiches. Set a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Slather one side of all the slices of bread with the softened butter. Put 4 slices into the hot pan, buttered side down. Dollop a generous scoop of the pimiento cheese onto the bread slices in the skillet and top with the remaining 4 slices. Cook until the bottom slice is browned, about 4 minutes. Flip the sandwiches and cook until the bottom is browned and the pimiento cheese is melty. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.