Jump to content

BLT

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Cresix (talk | contribs) at 02:02, 28 May 2012 (→Variations: no point in this red link). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the rock album by Jack Bruce, Bill Lordan, and Robin Trower, see B.L.T., other uses, and BLT (disambiguation).

BLT sandwich
BLT sandwich on toast
Alternative namesBacon, Lettuce and Tomato
Serving temperatureHot or Cold
Main ingredientsBacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, bread
VariationsClub sandwich
Food energy
(per serving)
352[1] kcal

A BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato) is a type of bacon sandwich. The standard BLT is made up of five ingredients: bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and bread. The five ingredients can be altered according to preference; for example, the bread can be toasted and the mayonnaise home-made. The sandwich has a high sodium and fat content, and has been specifically targeted by UK café chains in an effort to reduce salt and fat.

The BLT evolved from the tea sandwiches served before 1900 at a similar time to the club sandwich, although it is unclear when the name BLT became the norm. The sandwich's popularity has led to a number of oversized reproductions (the current record for the "world's largest BLT" is over 209 ft (64 m)*) and a pop art sculpture by Claes Oldenburg.[2]

Recipe

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on

While there are variations on the BLT, the essential ingredients are bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and bread. The quantity and quality of the ingredients are matters of personal preference. The bacon can be well cooked or tender, but as it "carries" the other flavours,[3] chefs recommend using higher quality meat; in particular, chef Edward Lee states "Your general supermarket bacon is not going to cut the mustard".[4]

Iceberg lettuce is a common choice because it does not add too much flavour whilst adding crunch.[4] Food writer Ed Levine has suggested that BLT does not require lettuce at all, as it is "superfluous",[5] a suggestion that Jon Bonné, lifestyle editor at MSNBC, described as "shocking". Michele Anna Jordan, author of The BLT Cookbook, believes the tomato is the key ingredient and recommends the use of the beefsteak tomato as it has more flesh and fewer seeds.[4] Controversially, Ty Kauffman of the food quarterly Lebensmittel, has suggested that egg is the most important and under-appreciated ingredient.[6]

The mayonnaise used significantly influences the flavour of the BLT.[4] The bread can be of any variety, white or wholemeal, toasted or not, depending on personal preference.[3]

Variations

Due to the high sodium and fat content of the BLT, low-fat mayonnaise is a common substitute along with low salt bread and less fatty bacon. In 2009, seven large cafe chains in the UK made a commitment to reducing salt and fat through similar substitutions.[7] A more visible solution is to use turkey bacon in lieu of normal bacon.[1] One of the variations on the BLT is the club sandwich, a two-layered sandwich in which one layer is a BLT. The other layer can be almost any sort of sliced meat, normally chicken or turkey.[8]

The BLT has been deconstructed into a number of forms, for example Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock created a BLT salad in The Gift of Southern Cooking, by cutting the ingredients into 1 inch (25 mm) pieces and tossing in mayonnaise. This variation was described by New York Times writer Julia Reed as "even more perfect than a BLT".[9]

History

BLT with Potato Wedges

Although the ingredients of the BLT have existed for many years, there is little evidence of BLT sandwich recipes prior to 1900. In the 1903 Good Housekeeping Everyday Cook Book, a recipe for a club sandwich included bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and a slice of turkey sandwiched between two slices of bread.[10] Whilst the 1929 book Seven Hundred Sandwiches does include a section on bacon sandwiches, the recipes often include pickles and none contain tomato.[11]

The BLT became popular after World War II because of the rapid expansion of supermarkets, which allowed ingredients to be available year-round. The initials, representing "bacon, lettuce, tomato", likely began in the American restaurant industry as shorthand for the sandwich, but it is unclear when this transferred to the public consciousness.[12]

Popularity

According to food historian John Mariani, it is the second most popular sandwich in the US, after the ham sandwich,[3] and a poll by OnePoll in 2008 showed that it was the "nation's favourite" sandwich in the UK.[13] BLT sandwiches are popular especially in the summer,[14] following the tomato harvest.[15] In the USA, the BLT-season is associated with an increase in the price of pork-bellies, which are processed into bacon.[16]

BLT in culture

In 1963, pop art sculptor Claes Oldenburg created a giant BLT sandwich sculpture, currently on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art.[2] It measures 32 by 39 inches (81 cm × 99 cm) and uses vinyl, kapok and wood, painted in acrylic. Every time it is moved, it must be restacked, which means it varies between exhibits. The artist has said that he has not set it up personally since its creation in 1963.[17]

In 2003, a record for the world's largest BLT was created by Michele Anna Jordan, measuring 108 feet (33 m) in length.[4] It was prepared at a 2003 tomato festival in Sonoma County, California and had a total area of 14,976 square inches (96,620 cm2).[18] In 2008, Marie Ganister and Glenda Castelli created a 146 feet (45 m) BLT – a sandwich which was originally planned with Jordan.[18] The record was broken again the Iron Barley restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri, with a BLT measuring 179 feet (55 m), and is currently held by Bentley Dining Services for their 2009 attempt, measuring 209 feet 1 inch (63.73 m).[19]

In 2004, the New Statesman reported that the sandwich chosen by a politician as his "favourite" is loaded with political symbolism. For example, it suggested that a chicken tikka sandwich would be a "gentle nod to an imperial past and a firm statement of a multicultural present and future." The article went on to explain that the then Leader of the Opposition William Hague had accused the then Prime Minister Tony Blair of being a hypocrite with regards to food, telling one portion of society that his favourite meal was fish and chips and another that it was a fresh fettuccine dish. The conclusion of the article was that Blair choose the BLT as his favourite sandwich, which appeals to all classes.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Bricklin, Mark (1994). Prevention Magazine's Nutrition Advisor: The Ultimate Guide to the Health-Boosting and Health-Harming Factors in Your Diet. Rodale. p. 454. ISBN 0-87596-225-4.
  2. ^ a b "Claes Oldenburg / Giant BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich)". AMICA library. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Pruess, Joanna (2006). Seduced by Bacon: Recipes & Lore about America's Favorite Indulgence. Globe Pequot. pp. 80–81. ISBN 1-59228-851-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e Bonne, Jon (12 September 2006). "Secrets to a perfect BLT sandwich". MSNBC. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  5. ^ Levine, Ed. "Does a BLT need the L". NY Serious Eats.com. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  6. ^ Kauffman, Ty. "Writer". Lebensmittel. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  7. ^ "Cafe chains promise to reduce salt and fat". Belfast Telegraph. 7 March 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  8. ^ Civitello, Linda (2007). Cuisine and culture: a history of food and people. John Wiley and Sons. p. 180. ISBN 0-471-74172-8.
  9. ^ Reed, Julia (24 August 2003). "Tip of the Iceberg". NY Times. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  10. ^ Gordon Curtis, Isabel (1903). Good Housekeeping Everyday Cook Book. ISBN 1-58816-210-9.
  11. ^ Cowles, Florence (1928). Seven Hundred Sandwiches. New York: Little, Brown & Company. pp. 31–35.
  12. ^ Mariani, John F. (1999). The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink. New York: Lebhar Freidman. p. 190.
  13. ^ "BLT is named nation's favourite sandwich". Daily Record. 27 October 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  14. ^ Tuttle, Brad (5 July 2011). "Is It Time to Start Stockpiling Bacon". Time Magazine. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  15. ^ McFerron, Whitney (4 August 2010). "Bacon Price Surge May Last Through August as Herd Cutbacks Tighten Supply". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  16. ^ Mason, Rowenna (15 August 2010). "Meat prices set to jump after wheat crop failures". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  17. ^ Kino, Carol (15 May 2009). "Going Softly Into a Parallel Universe". NY Times. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  18. ^ a b "There's a beef over that 146-foot BLT". PressDemocrat. 9 September 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  19. ^ Schultz, Brian (5 November 2009). "Bentley cooks up world record BLT". Eagle Eye. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  20. ^ Vigor, Anthony (12 April 2004). "Exposed by his sandwich". New Statesman. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BLT&oldid=494712355"