Unlocking the BLT’s secrets
Summer tomatoes sing in this sandwich, but there are a few other parts to consider
According to the food history-rich website foodtimeline.org, culinary evidence confirms the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, better known as a BLT, is descended from late-Victorian-era tea sandwiches.
That website also notes methods/ingredients for making such things as sandwiches evolve. Over the past 50 years or so, perhaps the biggest change with regard to the BLT is that as tomatoes became available in supermarkets year round, folks could now make this sandwich any time of year.
But unlike a ham-and-cheese, fried-egg or Reuben sandwich, which can taste the same no matter what time of year it is, a BLT is always at its grandest in the summer.
The reason being, of course, that tomatoes can be just-picked, locally or backyard grown — aromatic, ripe and full of flavour. Qualities you can only dream of when making this sandwich in January when only firm, where’s-the-flavour, imported tomatoes are available.
I love all kinds of fresh tomatoes, but when making a BLT, I most often use a beefsteak. As it’s name suggests, it has meaty flesh, a full, rich taste and it’s large, so slices of it almost cover the slice of bread you put them on.
In a BLT at this time of year, I also like to use some of the heirloom tomato varieties you can find at farmers markets. These open-pollinated, older varieties of tomato have names such as Cherokee, Brandywine and Tiger Tom. When using them, I’ll often choose a range of colours and types so my sandwich has a more complex and interesting flavour and look.
As for the strips of bacon used in my BLT, they, too, must have robust flavour. As I noted in a past story I wrote on bacon, some of my favourite types sold locally are those produced by Hertel Meats (hertelmeats.ca), Red Barn Market (redbarnmarket.ca), Harvest Meats (harvestmeats.ca) and the Whole Beast (thewholebeast.ca).
For a BLT, I like my bacon crispy, but not so crispy it has a burnt taste and messes up the sweet taste of the tomatoes. Or is so brittle it crumbles apart when you bite into the sandwich.
With regard to the lettuce and bread, what types I choose will depend on my mood. If I’m feeling like a 1950s diner-style BLT, I’ll go with a good old sliced white bread and crisp iceberg lettuce. Unassuming ingredients my mom would have used that let the flavours of the tomato and bacon play the lead roles in the sandwich.
When seeking a bit more nutrition and taste from those items, I’ll use some of those exotic looking bagged salads greens sold at farmers markets and opt for whole grain bread stocked with seeds.
No matter what type of bread I choose, it must be toasted and I don’t want it to be sliced too thickly or be a type that is overly chewy and hard to bite through. No, I want bread I can get my teeth through quickly so the tasty filling stays in place and doesn’t squish out the sides soon after the first bite.
Mayonnaise has long been the preferred spread for that bread and if I’m using store-bought I always reach for Hellmann’s brand — the regular type, not the lower-fat version. It has a nice balance of creaminess and tanginess that works great in a BLT.
When I’m being a keener, though, I’ll make my own mayonnaise and in my column this Sunday, I will provide a recipe and two methods for doing so.
Now, you’ll notice today that I have not included a BLT recipe. That’s because the truth is — and I’m sure you’ll all agree — one doesn’t really need one. Also, how one makes a BLT really does comes down to personal taste. In fact, some of you may disagree with some or all of what I’ve stated above.
That’s why I would love to hear how you make the perfect BLT, such as your preferred type of tomato and bacon, the bread you use, etc. If you’re keen to share, send you responses to eakis@timescolonist.com. I hope to include some of your responses in a column later this month.