Make a Winter BLT With Thick Tomato Sauce
Spring is here. The sunshine has changed, spring flowers are everywhere, and ripe local tomatoes…are still a long way off. However, the hope of warmer weather and outdoor activities got me craving for a BLT. While I could make a regular bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with a nice slice of fruit from the supermarket, I know I want more flavor and less water. So instead of waiting until June, I’ll make a winter BLT with a thick tomato sauce.
I’m not advising you to pour cold Prego on your sandwich and call it a day – give credit to my weird sandwich ideas, please. No, it takes a little more finesse to create a rich tomato flavor without unintentionally imparting a ketchup vibe. Follow my instructions and you’ll have a rich, salty, and spicy BLT that will satisfy your tomato cravings before the peak.
I knew I wanted to top the bread with a tomato filling. I started by testing a thin tomato sauce from a jar and a very thick pasta sauce from a jar. The thin pieces soaked too deeply into my bread, but it’s okay if that’s all you have. I ended up preferring the thick sauce because it added more flavor and created a noticeable tomato layer on the bread. To get rid of that “sauce in a jar” quality, I decided to fry the tomato bread in the leftover bacon grease (because fry bread is better than toast ).
My verdict: BLT is amazing this winter. After frying in tomato sauce, a light char appears, the taste becomes richer, with a delicate sweetness. I missed the tartness of the fresh tomatoes, but adding lemon juice to the sauce before assembling the sandwich helps.
My biggest tip for success (and this applies to any BLT ): choose a spongy bread that has some integrity, like ciabatta, or even soft rye slices. I used regular soft wheat slices and while the results were nice, the side that came into contact with the tomato sauce ended up being quite soggy. (To be fair, the same thing happens with fresh tomato BLTs, so it’s not exactly a tragedy if you have no other options.)
High quality pans to suit all your bread frying needs:
How to make a winter BLT
1. Cook the bacon
I prefer to bake my bacon, but you can pan fry it or cook it in the air fryer. Do what’s comfortable. I placed a few slices on a foil-lined baking sheet and baked at 350°F for 20 minutes. Once the bacon is cooked to your liking, cool and lightly coat the pan with bacon drippings.
2. Season the bread with sauce.
Turn the burner to medium heat and add a slice of bread. It will be lightly browned on one side for about three minutes. Add a couple tablespoons of your favorite thick tomato sauce, side up. Smooth it out into an even layer. I used a fork because I’m a professional.
3. Fry the side of the tomato.
Drizzle some more bacon grease onto the tomato side. In one quick motion, flip the bread over and brown the tomato side. Due to the moisture, it will begin to hiss and settle in a minute. Fry this side for about three minutes. When you turn it over again, you should see charred spots on the tomato. Cool the bread on a cooling rack for about five minutes before assembling the sandwich.
4. Assemble a sandwich
Now comes the fun part: assembly (and eating). I like to spread mayo on my BLT sandwich bread, but since one side was already covered in thick tomato jam, I limited the mayo to the other slice. Layer the bacon strips and crisp lettuce, and press the tomato-spread bread on top (tomato side down, of course).
I could even argue that the winter BLT is a little easier to eat than the traditional version because there are no watery tomato chunks slipping out of my sandwich. However, if you miss the texture of chopped fresh tomatoes, try this trick along with them. It doesn’t matter if they are tasteless or not, because the tomato sauce will act as a safety net for the taste.