What with Bacon Sandwich Quest proving so underwhelming thus far, I thought it was high time I threw my own rasher into the ring so to speak.
I'm not the only one who's been pontificating on the bacon sandwich of late, and this post got me thinking. It might just be the case that the finest bacon sandwich imaginable is the one you make for yourself, to your own exacting specifications. My dream butty may not be the same as yours, but it works for me.
This was the bacon sarnie I ate on Sunday morning, and it was by far the best of the year to date.
I grill the bacon. I tend to err on the side of grilling as the method of choice as it ensures a good, even crispness to the fat. The grill should be medium hot rather than on the hottest setting, as the fiercest heat will result in fat that is charred rather than browned.
Three rashers of good quality, thick cut back bacon, unsmoked. Two is not enough, resulting in a flatly filled, linear sandwich. You need that extra rasher to create layers of bacon where they overlap. I love smoked bacon but prefer unsmoked in a bacon sandwich. Just do. A simple cure is best too, nothing too sweet.
As the bacon grills I prepare the bread. An intermediate level bread is best I think. Pappy white sliced is good, but a little too limp for fine, sturdy bacon. An expensive artisan, sourdough loaf would just be wrong, too strongly flavoured and too much heft to the crust. Thick slices from a supermarket bakery bloomer do the trick. You know the type, one of the animal themed ones (tiger, hedgehog, badger etc. I used tiger). White of course.
I buttered the bread, because, as we all know, everything is better with butter. There are no exceptions to this rule. Creamy, unsalted butter is great here, but I didn't have any so slightly salted it was.
Now it's time to add the sauce. Brown. HP or Daddies. Not ketchup. There are some who say ketchup is preferable as the vinegary molasses tang of brown sauce is too much in a bacon sandwich, assertive and overpowering. To those people I say: that's because you used too much. A smear is all that's needed, not a squirt or a splash. Sauce shouldn't drip everywhere as you bite into it. Just a smear adds a delicious fruity backnote and a hint of acidity.
The bacon is ready. Crisp fat, browned but not blackened. The flesh still moist but not damp and absolutely not wet. In it goes, and on goes the top slice of bread. A gentle squeeze and the heat starts to melt the butter into the sauce into the bacon fat.
And then it's time to eat. In no time at all it's gone, and all I'm left with is a grin and a strong mug of tea to wash it down. I think I've found a winner.
I'm not the only one who's been pontificating on the bacon sandwich of late, and this post got me thinking. It might just be the case that the finest bacon sandwich imaginable is the one you make for yourself, to your own exacting specifications. My dream butty may not be the same as yours, but it works for me.
This was the bacon sarnie I ate on Sunday morning, and it was by far the best of the year to date.
I grill the bacon. I tend to err on the side of grilling as the method of choice as it ensures a good, even crispness to the fat. The grill should be medium hot rather than on the hottest setting, as the fiercest heat will result in fat that is charred rather than browned.
Three rashers of good quality, thick cut back bacon, unsmoked. Two is not enough, resulting in a flatly filled, linear sandwich. You need that extra rasher to create layers of bacon where they overlap. I love smoked bacon but prefer unsmoked in a bacon sandwich. Just do. A simple cure is best too, nothing too sweet.
As the bacon grills I prepare the bread. An intermediate level bread is best I think. Pappy white sliced is good, but a little too limp for fine, sturdy bacon. An expensive artisan, sourdough loaf would just be wrong, too strongly flavoured and too much heft to the crust. Thick slices from a supermarket bakery bloomer do the trick. You know the type, one of the animal themed ones (tiger, hedgehog, badger etc. I used tiger). White of course.
I buttered the bread, because, as we all know, everything is better with butter. There are no exceptions to this rule. Creamy, unsalted butter is great here, but I didn't have any so slightly salted it was.
Now it's time to add the sauce. Brown. HP or Daddies. Not ketchup. There are some who say ketchup is preferable as the vinegary molasses tang of brown sauce is too much in a bacon sandwich, assertive and overpowering. To those people I say: that's because you used too much. A smear is all that's needed, not a squirt or a splash. Sauce shouldn't drip everywhere as you bite into it. Just a smear adds a delicious fruity backnote and a hint of acidity.
The bacon is ready. Crisp fat, browned but not blackened. The flesh still moist but not damp and absolutely not wet. In it goes, and on goes the top slice of bread. A gentle squeeze and the heat starts to melt the butter into the sauce into the bacon fat.
And then it's time to eat. In no time at all it's gone, and all I'm left with is a grin and a strong mug of tea to wash it down. I think I've found a winner.
This is so funny, you brought a smile to my face! I would say shove that butter and give it a blast for 20 seconds to make it a little spreadable. I do like getting a cheeky little chunk of butter, but only when it's Jersey butter with sea salt crystals. Pretentious? Moi?!
ReplyDeleteCheers Becs. Haha you can tell the butter was too hard from the lumps it's been applied in. Fortunately the hot bacon does the trick, it sort of spread itself before I ate it. Not averse to a bit of posh butter myself either...
ReplyDeleteToo much bread, not enough bacon :)
ReplyDeleteWhat do you reckon would be an appropriate quantity? 4 rashers? 5? I could have just had all 6 in the packet I suppose ;)
ReplyDeleteLooks rather good. I'm a bit hungry now.
ReplyDeleteYou know it's funny... the whole ketchup vs brown sauce debate. Right up until my mid-20s it was brown sauce, no question, but then something happened with my taste buds and now a bacon butty without ketchup just isn't a bacon butty.
ReplyDeletePerhaps your taste buds will reconfigure correctly when you hit your mid-30's, then it will be brown all the way!
ReplyDelete