The BLT Manifesto

Summary by Krater

Kenji López-Alt explains eight rules for making the ultimate BLT sandwich, covering tomato selection, bacon curing, crisping, rendering fat, bread choice, mayonnaise, lettuce, seasoning, and cutting technique.

From the video

Answers: How do you make the best BLT sandwich?

• BLT sandwich assembly
• Tomato selection for BLT
• Bacon crisping techniques
• Mayonnaise application
• Bread toasting

What it concludes

• A BLT is fundamentally a tomato sandwich seasoned with bacon and lettuce, requiring ripe tomatoes available only in August and September.
• Immersion-cured bacon provides the best balance of flavor, even cooking, and tenderness without excessive chewiness or pump-injected moisture.
• Cooking bacon on a griddle with a flat press ensures even rendering and crisping.
• Bread should be toasted low and slow in rendered bacon fat to achieve even browning without destroying the bread structure.
• Shredded iceberg lettuce adds crunch and creates a protective barrier for the toast against tomato juices.
• Salting tomato slices draws out moisture, enhances sweetness, suppresses bitterness, and triggers sensory attention.