When I was a kid, my parents took me out to a fancy restaurant for lunch, and all I wanted was a BLT. Oh, to preface this story, I had just lost TWO teeth a few days before. Both my ma, and my dad were trying to talk me out of it, because toast is hard, and probably not a good idea for my recently hole-filled mouth. But no, I wouldn’t budge. I.wanted.a.BLT. Even the waitress tried offering me macaroni and cheese. Lady, didn’t you hear me? I said BLT.
Ok, fine, BLT it is. Well, ten minutes later, out comes my BLT. I was so excited until I realized… ouch. Dammit. This really hurts! I think I may have cried, because I was sad about having lost my teeth, fearing that “big-girl” teeth would never grow in, and on top of it all: I couldn’t eat this delicious sandwich.
Childhood is rough.
Anyway, the possibilities of a BLT are endless:
-What kind of bacon?
-What kind of lettuce?
-What kind of tomato?
-Mayo or other sauce?
-What type of bread??
Bacon-Lettuce-Tomato . That’s it! Simple ingredients, tweak them, and make a fantastic sandwich.
I’m definitely NOT the first person to rock the bacon weave, but I did do something a little… different… with it: I soaked it in whiskey, sprinkled it with brown sugar, and baked it.
Note: this is not an every day sandwich. It has BACON, WHISKEY, and MAYO in it. It’s highly caloric. So feel free to share half of it with a friend, or if you must eat it by yourself, do some extra sit-ups that night.
Let’s start with the bacon:
Believe it or not, there is an art to making a truly GREAT sandwich. A sandwich that contains it’s ingredients and doesn’t slip ‘n slide everywhere, and in every bite, gives the diner a piece of each ingredient so that all of the flavors come together. So this is how I, build the perfect BLT:
1.) I use tomatoes that have never been refrigerated… ever! And I slice them paper-thin. (You can use either a mandoline slicer, or a very sharp knife.)
2.) I use crunchy, COLD, iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce has been given the cold shoulder (pun!) by a lot of foodies. What do they know? It’s crisp, crunchy, and perfect for sandwiches. Save that wilted stuff for some other fancy pants salad.
3.) I don’t mess with the mayo too much. I use a quality mayo (or a homemade one) and add lime juice, and black pepper; some acidity, and some bite!
So to recap: Smoky, tang, zip, bite, crunchy and sweet. That is the perfect BLT.
liana says: oh noez!!! you forgot to TOAST your bread!!!!!…I’m a bacon weaver now thanks to this 
…that almost sounded dirty…
carla says: hilarity!
Cathy says: I tried these today and it really does make a better BLT!
admin says: Yay! I’m glad to hear it
Julie says: What a great idea! I can’t wait to try it.
Jen says: Great idea!!!!
Your story reminds me of when I had my tonsils out as a young adult….
One day after the surgery and I was RAVENOUS… and all I wanted was a sloppy joe with crispy tater tots. My mom warned me… she tried to change my mind…
Well, you know how that story goes, right?
carla says: pure. bacon. genius.
me, i recall my 8-year-old-self attempting to eat a mcChicken sandwich before the local anesthetic for my first filling had worn off…not good.
my hat is off to your bacon-craft. i’ll keep checking in for more food brilliance…bravo!!!
Connie says: I will try it since I just bought 3# of bacon!
Dee says: WOW! It’s 7:00 AM and I’m so hungry for a BLT now!!! I’m going to try your technique when I make one today for lunch! BTW — we agree on the iceburg lettuce.
Claudia says: What would happen if you soaked the bacon in the whiskey overnight in the fridge?
Cathy says: Hmm… I have no idea. I wonder if the whiskey would break down the bacon. It’s definitely worth trying out though!
Leesa says: Dang it you made me hungry. I Love BLT
OMG this looks amazing. Just a simple BLT but amazing. Maybe because I am hungry. And on a diet. Will try this soon!
Gina says: Can’t wait to try the whiskey bacon! Just recently started cooking it in the oven…so easy and mess-less! For mayo, I use Marie’s creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s thick as mayo with a good flavor…adds that special bite to the sandwich.
Vickie says: WOW – what a great idea. I’m saying to myself “Why didn’t I think of that”. BLT for dinner tomorrow, and yes, with tomatoes from the garden Thanks for the bacon weave idea!
Mary H says: Sounds great, but I’ll I’ll toast the bread AND substitute Peanut Butter for the Mayo.
Don’t wrinkle your nose until you try it.
Marty says: ‘discard’ the whiskey? I know raw bacon has been ‘marinating’ in it, but discarding it is sinful! But I LOVE the bacon weave idea…genius!
Laura says: My bacon is in the oven now. Love this idea!
Linda Henderson says: Amazingly easy to do. I’m sorry I didn’t see this earlier. You are right about so many things here: simple ingredients are a must, as is room temp tomatoes and white bread!! We make open faced sandwiches here. Toast covered with american cheese. Top with bacon (weaved from now on!) then tomato. Broil til it looks yummy!!
Lori Q says: Oh My!!! Looks Yummy!
Tiffany says: I am making this now just minus the wisky and brown sugar but I will probably make it that way sometime
Maxine Nielson says: Looks awesome! Myboyfriend is a bacon lover & he just about flipped over when I showed him your recipe, especialy the whiskey part. He’s a whiskey drinker also. But, one thing you left out. What kind of bread do you prefer? And do you toast it? Thanx for the recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
Cathy says: Most of the time I just use whatever bread I have in the house, which is usually just plain ol’ sandwich bread And yes, I definitely toast the bread!
Caroline says: I am thinking that you may be my long lost twin!
Oh.my.goodness!!! This looks like the ultimate BLT. And a bacon weave?? Love it. I usually don’t put mayo on anything, but am thinking the lime juice and pepper will make it work. Can’t wait to try this!!
Somebikerguy says: I’ve never heard of nor seen bacon weaving till now… but after making my first bacon pot holder tonight… I’m a convert! Lol… awesome idea! Just gotta perfect the cooking time to get my preferred texture now. Thanks!
Lynn says: Have you heard of the Bacon Festival in DesMoines , Ia.? When tickets go on sale….they are sold out in just a few minutes! It gets larger and larger every year. People LOVE their bacon, that’s for sure. Plus, this is pork country but folks come from everywhere. I haven’t been able to attend the festival due to its popularity and limited tickets. I love bacon and your bacon weave looks great. It looks like the weave will make it possi le to have a piece of bacon in every bite and also for it to stay together in the sandwich so part of it won’t slide out as some strips do. Thanks for your idea. 
That looks Awesome. I going make that tomorrow.