The BLT is a fun, simple sandwich in many-a-household. As I grew up and learned to enjoy the onion – The BLT sandwich quickly became the BOLT sandwich: Bacon, Onion, Lettuce, Tomato. Normally nothing special, but there actually was some love put into this one. The major difference is the homemade bacon that MrsSlide gave me after SmokeFest. I used to do things normal, but now I just cook and let the cook take me to new levels. Raw Onion? Nah, you’ll see I even played with that. What I used to do at home in high school, in the dorm room at college, to now – We grow and change.
Showtime!
The Prep Table
The Sunday morning after Smokefest 2021, two days removed from the Pork Butt Pre-Game, MrsSlide was cooking up bacon and she reminded me this was the homemade bacon they made. They had great recipe they made many times and they graced me with a freezer pack of it. (Maybe Slide or MrsSlide will guest post?!?!)
Every time I drag the smoker out – the camera comes with it, because I don’t know what’s going to come. Smoked bacon isn’t enough to make it’s own post – I get that. But a homemade bacon gets me closer to it. Then I decided to smoke an onion. Then that onion dried out, so I needed to beer braise it. And all of a sudden, we’re building a post. This is culinary magic. Enough foreplay, let’s start!
The Process
As soon as I tore open the pack of bacon and took in the smell – I knew it was special. When I tear open a pack of Smithfield – I always feel the need to add a little something to it – no offense to them, but it needs something. This one had a special fragrance that needed nothing else. I think I sent Slide a text while I was laying it out on the frog mat that I didn’t need to do anything else to it. Compliments to you all!
My go-to every time with bacon on a pellet smoker is 225 for 2 hours with a flip halfway through. It’s cooked, it’s not crispy, it’s gathered smoke – it’s perfect. It’s bacon. I was so happy to use homemade bacon – it only drives me towards making my own. So after an hour, I check on it and noticed them onions dried right the hell out. Really, I should’ve expected it – but it happened. Time to pull them off and do some work.
So I had an hour to go until that bacon – now known as the Slide Swine Sticks – was done, so it was time for some improv. I convinced my wife that I needed to drink a beer – for culinary support of course.
When in doubt, add beer! I poured a little bit of that glorious New Glarus Brewing Co. Spotted Cow beer into a small pan, sealed it up and threw her back on the smoker. Didn’t know how it’d turn out – but I was pretty sure it’d be pretty damn good.
After two hours, that bacon was ready to go. As I type this, I realize I speak in hours like it’s nothing anymore. I was hungry as all hell, and I’m just thinking – oh, only two more hours until I get to eat. It’s just an oversight at this point that when I’m hungry, I have to wait a chunk of a day to eat. Anyway.
When these were about ready to go, I threw a couple slices of white bread on the grates to give it some texture, sliced up a tomato – the lettuce I bought was already cut up a little bit. It was time to assemble.
Bread has some texture, the onions moist and soft, the bacon beautifully cooked and them onions have a good slice. The lettuce came from a plastic carton – so nothing special to note there. Let’s get at it.
The Result
I assemble the BLT like I do a hamburger. Don’t want to soggify (patent pending) the bread if you don’t have to. Bread, Lettuce barrier, Bacon, Tomato, Onion, Bread. BLBTOB. You do it the same way. Maybe you power eaters would add a double BLT and double stack the bacon – judgement free zone, I may have done it before. Not today though.
Took the above photo so you can see just how much that beer braising livened up that onion. Whether it was the onion itself or the process – my hands smelled for days like onion afterward. Powerful! That onion was exceptional. I will definitely be doing this again.
So that’s it. What is usually a simple sandwich – Cooked bacon, add tomato and lettuce turned into something a little more. The homemade bacon stole the show – as expected. What a great, profound flavor. The beer-braised onion added huge onion flavor – soft delicious and vibrant. Lettuce/Tomato were exactly that. And white bread, because that’s the way it should be.
Thanks for sticking around and seeing a ‘cheap eat’ turn into something special. If y’all have any requests, always happy to hear them! Until then, enjoy the weekend my friends!
Recipe
The BOLT Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Bacon Homemade!
- 1 Sweet Onion Sliced
- 1 Beefsteak Tomato Sliced
- 1 Lettuce To taste? It's lettuce.
- White Bread 2 slices per serving
- 4-6 oz Beer Splash it – whatever you're willing to sacrifice
Instructions
- Smoker: 225 with your favorite wood (I used a mix of leftovers, nothing special)
- Place sliced onion and bacon in smoker for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, flip bacon – remove onion
- Place onion in small pan, add beer, seal with aluminum foil – return to smoker
- With 5-10 minutes left, place bread slices on smoker to crisp up and add texture to bread. After an hour – remove bacon/onion from smoker.
- Assemble to your liking (Bottom to top: Bread, Lettuce, Bacon, Tomato, Onion, Bread).
- Enjoy!