In honor of National Sandwich Day today, let us marvel at the B.L.T. that is the BLT… the Beautiful Little Treasure that is the Bacon Lettuce Tomato sandwich.
What’s not to love? BLT’s are easy to make, relatively healthy (ignore the bacon), and wondrous in their simplicity. It is as if the BLT was made for the desires of our taste buds. The human brain is evolutionarily hardwired to love salt, sugar, and fat, and the BLT delivers all three in each delightful bite. The BLT has the salty bacon, crunchy lettuce, sweet tomato, and creamy mayo that binds these seemingly incongruous ingredients between two buttery slices of bread.
Here is this geeky girl’s guide to making the ultimate BLT:
1. Toast your bread with butter on a skillet. Toasting your bread in butter directly on a skillet creates a buttery crunch that is unmatched by a toaster. I assure you that there’s a difference between plain bread, toasted bread, and bread browned in a skillet with butter. The butter and skillet allow the Maillard reaction to do its magic: unleashing more complex aromas and flavors.
2. Spread mayo on both bread slices. Not only does mayo add a tangy, smooth element to the sandwich, it also prevents sogginess. The oils in mayo create a thin, hydrophobic barrier on the crunchy bread that repels the tomato juices. After all, who wants soggy toast? Mayo also binds all the elements of the sandwich with its discreet shmear of creaminess.
3. Bake bacon on a rack in the oven. This is hands down the best way to ensure flat, crispy bacon. Laying the bacon on a rack over a baking pan will let the rendered fat drip away as the bacon cooks, ensuring extra crispy results. Avoid the messy, high maintenance work of pan frying and let the even, dry heat of the oven do its job!
4. Season your tomato with salt and pepper. You’ve probably heard “salt brings out the flavor of the dish.” Neurologically, sodium chloride (table salt) suppresses bitterness or sourness and enhances sweetness. This is why many baked good recipes call for a little salt, even though we are not seeking a salty taste. Pepper just does what it does best: adds a kick!
5. Optional add-ons! If you want to dress up the basic BLT, add a crispy fried egg with a gooey, yokey center or slices of avocado! The brain will delight in the variety of flavors and textures. An egg or an avocado will add a velvety richness.
6. Cut your sandwich into two triangles. If you do the math, a sandwich cut into triangles has a greater crustless surface area than a sandwich cut into rectangles. Also, the long hypotenuse of the sandwich gives you maximum access to the thickest and best part of the sandwich - the center- while minimizing the dry, corner-crust bites.
7. Enjoy! Happy National Sandwich Day!
This intriguing NPR podcast/article below explains why many believe triangle sandwiches are tastier from an aesthetic, psychological, and mathematical point of view.
Lucy, Sebastian Love BLT’s. I was just telling him about your BLT.
Next time I make homemade bread, I must try a BLT, Lucy’s way!🌺