B.L.T. Sandwich - An American Classic

What are we having for lunch today, I get asked by my son and husband.  I rattle off a few choices, and they stop me at “B.L.T.”

                        

I must admit, a BLT (Bacon, lettuce and tomato) sandwich ranks right up there as the ultimate comfort food.  It is quite simple to make, however, frying up the bacon takes the most time.  So, without further ado, here we go:

 

Ingredients:

• Sliced bread -  we prefer untoasted white bread (2 slices per sandwich)
• Mayonnaise -  when we are in the US or Canada, I only use Kraft Miracle Whip, however, traveling in Mexico or Europe, you cannot find this, so any good local mayonnaise will have to do
• Leaf lettuce - romaine, or sucrine, or other leaf lettuce available locally.  It seems many people use iceberg lettuce, because it is light and flavorless, and does not interfere with the rest of the ingredients.  But for me, all you get is some crunch, but no flavor. 
• Thinly sliced tomatoes - heirloom tomatoes are wonderful here, but use whichever kind you can get locally (2-4 slices per sandwich, depending on the tomato size)
• Freshly ground pepper
• Cooked sliced bacon – In the US and Canada, I use Applewood Smoked Bacon, depending on the brand, 2-4 slices per sandwich).  In France and the Caribbean, I finally found "Poitrine fumee en trances fines" in the refrigerated prepared lunch meat section of the store.  Carrefour has a store brand that is good, and there is also a brand called Herta.  Otherwise ask for what the locals refer to as “American Style Bacon”.  Overseas, at the butcher, it has been more difficult.  When I asked for thinly sliced "Poitrine de porc fumee", I ended up with bacon slices that had pieces of bone and cartilage in them.  Maybe something got lost in translation, when I ordered it. 

 

How to prepare:

Spread the mayonnaise on one side of the bread

Wash, and dry your lettuce leaves, remove the center rib

Put a lettuce leave on the bread

Add tomato slices on top of the lettuce, sprinkle some ground pepper on the tomato slices

Add the fried, crisp bacon on top of the tomato slices

Finally, close the sandwich by putting a slice of bread with mayonnaise and lettuce to cover the bacon (with the lettuce side facing the bacon).

Place the finished product on a paper towel, with ½ of the sandwich on the paper towel

And wrap the paper towel around the bottom half.  After all, this is a messy sandwich.  But experience has taught us, messy tastes good!  Hopefully, the paper towel will prevent you from wearing some of the ingredients, should they slide out while you are eating.  Ha ha ha!

Hey Guys, LUNCH IS READY!

Tip 

After frying up the bacon, I pour the rendered fat or bacon grease into an ovenproof cup.

 

I refrigerate it, and it becomes solid, see the bottom right.  I reserve it for future use: frying our breakfast eggs with it, when frying chicken, or sautéing vegetables.  Using some bacon grease (bacon fat, or lard) instead of cooking oil or butter, in other recipes makes some flavors pop, and makes the meal taste great. 

Just don’t pour it down the drain, as it will solidify and clog up the drain!  If you decide not to ever use it, it is easier to put it in your garbage in solid form!

Bon Appetit

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