Winter BLT

Really, this sandwich was an excuse to use up some bagels and that terrific sun-dried tomato spread. My original humble idea was to make a simple BLT. The issue with that though is that in the dead of winter, fresh tomatoes just aren’t available. (Sure, tomatoes are available year-round, but the best BLT are ones made with honest-to-goodness, outdoor-grown, vine-ripened, hyphen-laden-adjective, heirloom-style tomatoes.) I had just made that sun-dried tomato spread, so I figured I could use that as a substitute. And if I was going to make one substitute, why not make several. Bagels, obviously, were on hand. Avocados are always tasty (doubly so in a BLT). And bean sprouts? Why not, they are healthy–it’ll offset the bacon!

Get your chompers around this!

I’ll spare you the assembly directions, I trust you to be clever enough to assemble the ingredients listed above between two slices of toasted bagels. Don’t let me down, now. I believe in you. Go and enjoy a BLT in the winter. Now you have no excuse for not having access to fresh tomatoes.

I believe this is what is called "the money shot"

That, my friends, is all that is needed for an amazing sandwich.

BLT

It’s summer, so homegrown tomatoes are in abundance. A coworker has more than she knows what to do with, so she has been giving them away at work. I’m all to happy to lend a hand. The key to a great BLT is sourcing the best B, L, and T you can get. So, with the T already in hand, the L is next.

When I make a BLT, I tend to go with iceberg lettuce. It’s not the most flavorful or fancy lettuce, but I think it’s classic. That fresh crisp lettuce is great with the salty warm bacon and the juicy tomato. The relatively neutral flavor doesn’t compete with the rest of the flavors.

And finally B. Ah yes, bacon. In a sandwich with so few elements to it, it is vital to get the best, thick-cut, bacon you can get. If you can get it from a butcher instead of those pre-sliced supermarket packs, you’ll be better off. Day-to-day, most of my bacon comes from the quality name-brand packs. Many are quite good and the price is a bit easier on the wallet too.

Other than that, you need mayo and bread. There are some heated discussions on the interwebs about which mayo is best, but I haven’t had the opportunity to try them all, so go with what you like. As far as bread, this time I used wheat bread. I like the mild sweetness it contributes and find that the earthiness compliments the tomato and bacon nicely. Otherwise a crusty sourdough or other hearth bread works well. Just be sure you toast it. I am also a fan of giving the pepper mill a light crack over the sandwich before closing it.

But that’s it. Grab a drink, some chips, and eat. Excellent, cheap, and super tasty.

BLT & Beer