The BLT is a simple sandwich, but simplicity demands excellence. Each component plays an important role, and maximizing the crisp saltiness of the bacon, the crunch of the lettuce, and the juicy, tangy sweetness of the tomatoes is what will make the sandwich truly magnificent.
In her New York Times cooking diary, Chef Clare de Boer shares a tomato tip that amplifies the fleshy fruit’s flavor with a little marinade:
Lazy days start with BLTs for breakfast. Luke’s are heaven, and he has two secrets. One: While the bacon is cooking he slices and marinates tomatoes with a splash of red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt. This turns the dreariest tomato into a fantasy of San Marzano. Two: After heavily toasting his bread (plain bagel or a sesame loaf are preferred in our home) he gives it a thick swipe of mayonnaise and follows with olive oil and vinegary tomato juices. Sounds preposterous? It’s perfect.
It does not sound preposterous to me at all. Not only do you get a tangier, juicier, more flavorful tomato, you’re left with a bright tomato vinaigrette to drizzle atop the lettuce. You can also play around with de Boer’s “recipe”: switch out the red wine vinegar for another flavor, add a pinch of sugar to amplify the fruit’s sweetness, or sprinkle on a little MSG to bulk up the glutamates. (Glutamates occur naturally in tomatoes, but yours may need a boost, depending on how flavorful it is.)
A few of my favorite (BLT) things:
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Do you need to do all this to a perfect in-season heirloom? Maybe not. But this tip works particularly well with bland hothouse boys, which is great news, because the end of tomato season is nigh.
This post was originally published in August 2019 and updated on July 24 2023 with updated information and links.