B.L.T….THE PERFECT SANDWICH

So, what’s the big deal? Bacon…lettuce…tomatoes…bread…mayonnaise. You’re right. It’s simple. But…not all B.L.T.’s are created equal!

To make a proper B.L.T., here is a short list of Do’s.

• Always use ripe, flavorful tomatoes (No brainer).

• Always use good bacon and plenty of it. And, cook it crisp.

• Always use plenty of good, whole mayonnaise like Hellmann’s or Best Foods, which, by the way, are the same thing.

• Always use the right lettuce. Young, small, inside leaves of Romaine hearts are good, but a lot of finely shredded, cold, crisp iceberg is the ticket for me. It provides a good contrast to the soft tomatoes. Forget the flimsy, floppy, Arugula or other “fancy” stuff.

• Always season the tomatoes with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

• Always cook bread on a flat griddle to a golden brown with butter, or better yet, some of the bacon fat. Do not toast it. And use a good, artisan white bread…forget the hard, crusty sourdough or ciabatta breads.

• And never put cheese on it. O.K., I would look the other way if you did…but please don’t, save the cheese for a grilled cheese!

• And, try to slice it diagonally into…so much easier to eat.

Here is a suggested stacking order, top to bottom:

• Griddled bread

• Plenty of Mayonnaise

• Several half slices of crispy bacon

• Sliced, seasoned, ripe tomatoes

• Plenty of thinly shredded iceberg lettuce

• Plenty of Mayonnaise

• Griddle bread

It really is the perfect sandwich. It has fresh ingredients that totally complement each other. It’s easy to make in short time. And, you probably have these ingredients in your fridge and pantry right now!

Oh, one more thing. It goes well with sliced avocado. But you may want to serve the sliced avocado on the side…it always squishes out when your try to eat it!