The BLT is a tomato sandwich
I don’t have a ton to add on this topic, so I’m mostly going to link to other videos and articles, but I am a firm believer that a BLT is a tomato sandwich. Arguments will be made for bacon being the star of the show, but without an excellent tomato, the BLT is just going to fall flat.
Tomatoes that you can typically find at a supermarket, like beefsteak and Roma, have generally been picked before they are ripe, artificially ripened during transport, and bred to be transport-friendly and have a longer shelf life. This makes them firm, not damaged easily, and last for many days at home, but their flavor is severely lacking.
When at all possible, choose heirloom tomatoes. Your fancier grocery stores may have them, but your best best will be at a local farmer’s market. These tomatoes have been bred for flavor and juiciness and you probably didn’t even know that tomatoes could taste that good.
There are only 5 ingredients in a BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato, bread, and mayo), so it’s crucial that each ingredient is at its best and celebrates the flavor of that ingredient. Choose a better tomato and your BLT will thank you.
J. Kenji López-Alt’s video that convinced me the BLT is a tomato sandwich.
Adam Ragusea explains why commercial tomatoes suck
Ethan Chlebowski’s take on this concept - treating it like a tomato burger.
Wee baby Kenji’s original video about the BLT manifesto
