it's back!

ina’s recipe | california blt | technique modification | ingredient substitution

“what’s back?” you say.

the california bacon lettuce tomato sandwich is back.

i can have my favorite blt sandwich again. i have waited years for this. i thought it was impossible. it isn’t.

what was nonexistent a few years ago in the united states is here now, and it is good. vegan bacon is available in markets. select the right one and your bacon craving will disappear. you will be satisfied.

i consider finding this wonderful bacon a small victory.

pig is something i removed from my diet a long time ago.

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“and the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.” (leviticus 11:7)

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technique modifications:

• to heat the bacon, the vegan bacon ideal oven heating instructions were followed instead.

• the vegan bacon cooked faster and did not need “fat draining” — when paper towels are used to soak up excess fat drippings after done.

ingredient substitutions:

• vegan bacon was an extraordinary substitute for regular pig smoked bacon. and i did not use just any vegan bacon. i selected hooray foods plant based bacon — the vegan bacon winner in my opinion. as i write this, hooray foods is rolling out this new product now at participating whole foods stores. not only does it cook faster than normal pig bacon, each slice touts less calories and less fat while tasting almost exactly like pig bacon. the texture is good too, depending on how you cook it. surprisingly, this bacon is made of coconut oil, rice flour, tapioca starch, liquid smoke, umami seasoning, maple syrup, salt, and beet juice concentrate. nothing crazy weird. i am happy.

• good mayo on a blt is crucial. it is hard to find a good off-the-shelf vegan mayo ever since whole foods stopped selling their brand. plant perfect vegan mayo was used.

• a beautiful sourdough boule replaced traditional white bread. what can i say? i like my sandwich bread thick, with an outer crumb and a chewy inside.

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looks like bacon. smells like bacon. tastes like bacon.

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bonus tips:

• for this particular brand of bacon, if you like your bacon crispy all over, cook the bacon in the oven on a sheet pan without parchment paper.

• if you like your bacon soft and chewy with lines of crispness here and there, cook the bacon in the oven on a sheet pan with parchment paper.

• lining the sheet pan with or without parchment paper makes a distinct difference in the texture.

• in summary:

  • no parchment = crispy all over

  • with parchment = soft with crispy lining

  • same cook time in the oven, regardless. 10 minutes @ 350 degrees fahrenheit.