Rethinking the BLT
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To me, the BLT is king when it comes to sandwiches. It’s versatile, easy to make, and c’mon, BACON (need I say more?) ! At our house, a juicy BLT is the tell tale sign that summer has begun! For me, no foods invoke the flavors of summer more than garden fresh lettuce and a juicy heirloom tomato. And then there is the bacon, oh the bacon. If bacon connoisseur were a job, I would happily apply.
I have eaten more than my fair share of bacon, in the name of research of course. Here are my findings:
Publican Quality Meats in Chicago’s Fulton Market/ West Loop has an extensive butchery program, featuring locally sourced, house cured bacon. The bacon is lightly smoky, and cut on the thicker side. The flavors of the bacon are not so overpowering that they dominate a recipe, making this bacon an ideal accompaniment to the freshest of heirloom tomato. Slagel Family Farms located in Fairbury, IL who supply meat products to some of the top spots in Chicago (including Publican Quality Meats) have been raising hogs on the family farm since the late 1880’s. The Slagel’s farm and process to the highest standards. We recently joined the Slagel monthly meat CSA and cannot get enough of the house bacon! The mild cure on this bacon allows the quality of the product to clearly shine through. And last but certainly not least is Benton’s Bacon (which I use in this recipe) located in Madisonville, TN where Allan Benton makes some of the best smoked bacon in the country. And lucky for us all, they will ship anywhere in the US.
* It should be noted that I do not receive anything for promoting these suppliers- they are simply personal favorites. To be completely transparent, I did work for a restaurant that was affiliated with Publican Quality Meats back in 2019, but that has no bearing on my love for PQM Bacon!*
So if I think the BLT is so perfect why am I messing with it, you ask? Well simply put I love to try new ideas and wow, am I happy with the results here. My inspiration for this recipe comes from the book Cook Like a Local by Chris Shepard where he glazes pork belly with a sweet/spicy sauce. When I saw this my mind immediately jumped to some smoky bacon and some spicy Asian flavors. What I ended up with was something so familiar, but with a delicious twist. I think you will want to make this again and again!
A brief note on the science of sandwich making:
While working on this recipe my partner Linsey and I accidentally discovered the differences in flavors based on the order of ingredients on the BLT . In fact, we found the order of ingredients changed the flavor of the sandwich completely. For me the order has always been just as the name suggests; bacon, then lettuce, followed by tomato. However when we placed the lettuce on bottom with the bacon in the middle we got a totally different taste experience. When the lettuce is placed first against the bread, the grease from the bacon doesn’t have a chance to absorb into the toast and the ingredients stand out more individually, and the taste seems crisper and cleaner. Don’t just take my word for it- you should try it at home. The BLT is a simple sandwich which can illustrate clearly how big of a difference the order of ingredients on a sandwich can actually make!.
No matter the order of ingredients, this BLT is a great easy lunch or dinner option. You can always do as I do, and make extra bacon to have more sandwiches later, or for your own personal snacking (to me, the cook’s snacks are one of the major perks of being the one who makes the meal).
Photo by Linsey Sowa
Here is what you need to make two sandwiches:
8 oz bacon (I prefer Benton’s)
4 lettuce leaves (I prefer Romaine)
1 lg or 2 med heirloom tomatoes (cored and sliced)
4 slices bread
Mayo (I prefer Duke’s)
1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Let’s make a sandwich:
Preheat the oven to 400 F
Place your bacon on a wire rack on a foil lined baking sheet
Whisk together the honey, sesame oil, and sambal oelek in a small bowl
With a pastry brush give all of the bacon a thick coat of the paste on both sides
Put the bacon in the oven for 10-12 minutes until crispy, remove and let cool slightly
When the bacon is almost ready toast your bread and have the rest of your ingredients at the ready
Apply an even coat of mayo on two slices of bread, add your bacon, lettuce, and tomato
Salt and Pepper the tomato, add a coat of mayo to the last two pieces of bread and top the sandwiches
Cut into triangles and enjoy!
Photo by Linsey Sowa