The BLT Manifesto

Follow the rules for making the best BLTs. Follow them well and find your lunch.

RECIPE

NOTE:
This recipe can easily be scaled up. To cook bacon for a larger crowd, preheat the oven to 400°F. Lay bacon strips on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, top with a second sheet of parchment paper, and place a second tray on top to keep the bacon flat while baking. Transfer the sandwiched bacon slices to the oven, and bake until well-rendered and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Reserve the bacon drippings, and brush onto slices of bread before toasting in the toaster or on a griddle.

INGREDIENTS:

3 strips thick-cut, naturally cured bacon (see note above)
2 slices high-quality sandwich bread, such as shokupan
2 tablespoons (30ml) homemade or store-bought mayonnaise (see note above)
1 1/2 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce (see note above)
4 thick slices ripe tomato (see note above)
Coarse sea salt, such as fleur de sel or Maldon
Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place a griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Add bacon and place a bacon press, skillet, or masonry trowel on top of it to keep it flat as it cooks. Cook until lightly browned on first side, about 5 minutes, then flip, cover again, and continue cooking until bacon is browned on both sides and fat has rendered, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside.

2. Place bread on same skillet or griddle and toast in bacon fat over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally, until evenly browned on first side. Flip and brown second side.

3. Lay toasted bread on a work surface and spread mayonnaise on both top faces. Divide lettuce evenly between both pieces of bread. Layer tomato slices on one piece of bread and sprinkle generously with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

4. Break bacon slices in half and layer them onto the sandwich in 2 layers of 3 half-slices each, alternating the orientation of bacon in each layer for more structural stability. Close sandwich and cut in half diagonally. Serve immediately.

[xavierpaquin]

The BLT is a *mayonnaise* sandwich seasoned with bacon and tomatoes

[jepoyburner]

it's so weird watching a kenji video that has this amount of editing.

[Gravy_Master]

I went to Stop & Shop and asked the dude stocking the shelves if he could point me in the direction of the immersion cured bacon. We just stared at each other in silence for a full five minutes.

[zanpreston]

Ahaha, that infomercial level bacon pull fail was amazing!

[Obfuscator]

"People love pointy food"
-Chef John

[HeatherSpoonheim]

Been cooking for a little over 30 years. For all the gastronomic things I've cooked, few compare to a good BLT, soft boiled egg, or properly crisped potato pancake. I do believe you've hit all the right notes on a great BLT, but you should do a video one the various dimensions of a homemade mayo - various oils, acids, and flavours create an infinite universe for mayo, and the BLT is the perfect venue for investigating the possibilities. Very nice video.

[darkowl]

This video is truth. So many cafes nowadays trying to "improve" upon the BLT by making it on a brioche (ughhh can we please stop with the brioche?) bun, adding avocado, egg, all these things... really, I just want a perfect BLT like what you've made here. It really is the best.

[brytenwaldaco.productions]

"You can only get great tomatoes two months a year"
*Laughs in Australian*

[ShakeITyEA]

according to a recent article, it was discovered that most commonly farmed tomatoes are mistakenly missing a gene responsible for flavour which now might get readded.

so maybe it wont be seasonal anymore in a year or two.

[PeanutButterCrispy]

i really liked the infomercial editing when the bacon pulled out the sandwich, reminds me of the good old days and miracle blade chef tony vibes

[sergeantbigmac]

Purple Cherokee is now my new favorite tomato EVER. Theyre so flavorful and 'meaty' for lack of a better describer. It might sound weird, but I also taste hints of smokiness in them? I never knew tomatos really differed that much until I tried the heirloom varieties.Theyre even better if you grow them yourself.

[sameoldsteph]

A Kenji deep dive! I love these old videos, which really aren't that old. You've really settled into yourself in the past few years. (Oh, and because I'm annoying: it's 'tidbits', not 'takers'...I never understood the lyrics to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road so one day I looked them up and memorized the hell out of them.)

[wilsonalvarez]

I like how this is recommended for me, as I’ve watched it 10x already

[larryhubert]

yes you got it right thick cut bacon toasted white bread mayonnaise lettuce tomato EXCELLENT I cook my bacon on an electric skillet do my white bread in toaster thank you for reminding me Im 74 after wife died had to learn how to cook for myself all over again Thanks

[berthkgar]

Ok, definitely here WAY later cuz I've been watching the "POV" quarantine cooking videos... thought I loved your channel before but the Triforce reference just kicked your channel from a 10 to an 11!

[marksimpson]

I made my firsr BLT because of inspiration from Kenji and followed most of these rules but cut it into rectangles without thinking . was still one of the best sandwiches Ive ever made.😊) ty Kenji

[colin_henry]

“One of the few life changing events that takes under 2 minutes”
😳 uh kenji?

[nelsonyou]

When the tomato turns on your trynophobia

[broshkaq]

WELL I THINK IT'S A LETTUCE SANDWICH THAT IS SEASONED WITH BACON AND TOMATOES.

[jeremyd]

2+2=5, the BLT is big brother's favorite sandwich?
That's fking clever, nice 1984 reference