Ever wonder why your at-home grilled cheese sandwich gets crispy, but it never forms the same crunchy crust of a grilled cheese from a diner? With the number of restaurant chefs on TV, in books, online and around the corner, you'd think there'd be no secrets left to tell, but not too many home cooks know that the secret to a crunchy crust is a trick that also adds a layer of flavor to all kinds of diner food. Line cooks the world over keep that secret in squeeze bottles on the shelves above their flat-top grills: some call it "grill grease," but it's also known as "flat-top sauce," "special sauce," or "grill sauce." At its most basic, it's a blend of mayonnaise and club soda, stirred to the consistency of cream, that is squirted onto the grill side of a bun or slice of bread to make patty melts, reubens or grilled cheese. The grill sauce must contain oil or butter (something with a non-stick property) along with some sort of protein, such as eggs, which is why it's often mayonnaise-based. Depending on the application, the grill sauce might be flavored with chili powder, garlic or, as in this case, horseradish. I like to use meat left over from a bone-in baked ham, but deli ham (not processed with honey or brown sugar) works well, too.

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