pulykamell, there’s a lot of wisdom in that Good Eats article, right up until the point where he says to use iceberg lettuce. I can see the argument against using something peppery like arugula, for fear of upstaging the tomato, but there are plenty of other lettuces that will still be better than iceberg. Pretty much all of them, in fact. All that iceberg adds is crispness, and (as he’s already pointed out), that’s what you get from the bacon.
He is, however, absolutely 100% right that the tomato is the star of the show, and must be of high (i.e., in season and not supermarket) quality.
I’m actually one of those people who really like iceberg, especially on sandwiches. Romaine (the crunchy interior of the heart)would be my sub if you don’t like it.
Iceberg works fine on a BLT, but if we have lettuce from our garden (not romaine) I’ll use that. Red leaf lettuce works fine. Garden lettuce is not a requirement since supermarket lettuce is far better than supermarket tomatoes, and since the lettuce season around here is much shorter than the tomato season.
Well, no. Maybe “flaccid” isn’t the right word, but the “leafiness” is what I mean. Doesn’t matter how fresh the lettuce is, but certain varieties my incisors are just not going to cleanly bite through. Iceberg is perfect, IMHO, for that crisp tear, and refreshing bite, with little competing bitterness.
I really don’t understand why iceberg has such a maligned reputation. I love the stuff for its crispness and “refreshingness,” much in the same way I love cucumbers for similar characteristics. This is not to say I don’t like greens like arugula or bibb lettuce or dandelions or baby spinach, but none of those have the refreshing quality of iceberg. In a sandwich, that’s a quality I look for.
Toast, a tiny smear of mayonnaise, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, toast.
In general, I don’t like mayonnaise, but there’s something about a BLT that suits it. Still, I don’t want greasy gobs of that stuff, just enough to add some flavor.
And i agree that the refreshing crispness of iceberg is very nice on sandwiches in general, and a BLT in particular.
I think of the bacon as being the star, probably because i usually get BLTs at the office cafeteria. If the tomatoes are really good, you don’t need the bacon at all, thick slices of tomato will do the trick. Although a little bacon or a slice of sharp cheddar will help highlight the tomato.
I’ve always seen the lettuce on top and bottom with the tomato and bacon in the middle so the sandwich doesn’t fall apart … although grilling the bread in bacon fat sounds heavenly ……. (and would give the diet overkill fools I suffer fits…)
I hate lettuce on sandwiches. Butter softens up any hard toast edges a little so they don’t scratch my mouth. I like mayo but Miracle Whip because BLTs need that tangy zip. Bacon before tomato so tomato doesn’t make the toast soggy.
Well, the main thing about a good club sandwich is that you use a very large and VERY stale sub bun. Otherwise you just can’t get the kind of leverage and resulting blunt-force trauma that you… Oh. Wait. Wrong kind of club. Carry on…
