"In Wales," says Chef Kevin Gillespie, "cheese is the poor man's meat. Welsh rarebit is simple tavern food—a thick cheese sauce mixed with draft beer and melted over rustic bread. It's cheap and it's good. And when done right, it's super flavorful and super rich. My mom and uncle liked it, so my grandmother used to make it for them. The Welsh make it with local, well-aged cheddar. Buy the best cheese that you can because it's the star of the dish. For the bread, the heartier the better. Whole-grain brown loaves work really well. You could even use one with nuts in it, like pecan-raisin bread. The sturdy bread forms a dense backdrop for the velvety melted cheese sauce. Not everything should have the same texture, which is part of what makes this dish fun to eat. It might look like an open-faced sandwich, but this is definitely knife-and-fork food." -
Fire in my Belly: Real Cooking