The Art of the BLT

By
Lisa Howard-Fusco
– July 25, 2010Posted in: Recipes


My very first, long-awaited Jersey tomato ripened in my garden this week. One small, delectable tomato- too small to make a salad or slice up and serve with mozzarella… what to do?
Then it hit me. inspired by the Anne Burrell interview we did, I thought of her idea of the perfect last meal: the mighty bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.

Now, the BLT, as simple as it is, can and has been defiled in many ways, especially in diners and lunch rooms across the nation- overly toasted bread that rips 5 layers of skin off the roof of your mouth, limp, flavorless iceberg lettuce, sad, pale, mealy and tasteless supermarket tomatoes, Miracle Whip…oh, the humanity!

Well, I’m here to give you the simple steps that, when followed closely, will guarantee you the exquisite sandwich you deserve.

1) Check the weather outside, and your calendar. Is it hot out? Is it anywhere between late July and late September? If yes, it’s safe to proceed. If no, wait until next year. There is no point in making a sandwich with raw tomatoes unless they are in season.

2) Toast the bread carefully. I’m not kidding. Set your toaster oven to low, and watch the bread- if it’s slightly browned but still mostly pliable, you’re OK. If it’s true “toast”, you may enjoy your sandwich now, but you’ll pay later, my friend, when you’re picking pieces of skin out of your mouth (eeew).

3) Fry your bacon carefully. Again, just crisp, but still a teensy weency bit pliable. If not, the porky goodness will disintegrate into powder and you’ll have an LT, with no B.

4) Select good, crispy romaine lettuce at the grocery store. You want the crunchy coolness to contrast with the greasy goodness of the bacon. And dry the leaves thoroughly- soggy BLTs suck.

5) Load your sandwich for stability: lettuce leaf on the bottom, then bacon, then thin (but deli thin) slices of tomato.

6) Lightly salt those tomato slices. You’ll be glad you did when they give up their juice and deliver all that tomatoey goodness to your taste buds. Yum.

7) Slather that top slice of bread with mayo. Skipping this step is heretical- and you’ll miss out on that touch of creaminess that ties the experience all together.

8) Slice diagonally, into 2 triangles. This shape is the ideal way to get all the flavors in your mouth at once.

Am I obsessed? Probably. But I’m a firm believer that with loving care, the every-day-ordinary can be elevated to the ethereal.

-Lisa

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About Lisa Howard-Fusco

Lisa is John's partner-in-crime in all things (including this website), and a freelance writer. She now finds it safer to use her 10 years of New York publishing and film experience to yammer on about her culinary obsessions, instead of accosting people on street corners. Her articles and reviews have appeared in publications such as the South Jersey Magazine and Edible Jersey, as well as several websites. Her early journey into foodie-dom began in her grandmother's kitchen, rolling meatballs at the tender age of two. By the age of six, she was happily consuming eel and clams while other kids whined for mac and cheese. At ten, she asked to celebrate her birthday in an upscale restaurant. In college, she further complicated matters by becoming a sometimes-belligerent craft brew fan. Although she has mellowed with age, Lisa has been known to commit acts of violence when everyone assumes the homebrew was made by John. When not writing or wrangling their two adorable children, she is on an eternal quest for a quiet room to lock herself in, just for 5 minutes. Lisa's great hope is to someday master the art of cooking okra.