The Willer BLT

Ingredients

• 2 slices of brioche bread (regular size, not too thick or wide)
• 4 strips of normal thickness pork belly bacon ("American" style - not the pork loin rashers found overseas, and not thick cut as it needs to get extra crispy)
• 1 very ripe beefsteak tomato (as large as the width of your bread)
• 4-6 sweet pickle chips (not dill)
• small bunch of arugula (dressed with lemon vinaigrette)
• 2 slices of Muenster cheese
• mayonnaise

Vinaigrette Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon grated, fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or other large grain salt)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• a splash of maple syrup

Instructions

1. Take all ingredients out of the fridge. (Cold ingredients taste more bland.) Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil and lay bacon strips on top. Place in a cold oven and set to 425 F (220 C). Set a timer for 20 minutes.
2. Place enough pickle chips to cover one slice of bread on a paper towel to drain (probably 4-6). Slice tomato into thick slices and place 2 on a paper towel to drain. This is crucial to manage the moisture in the sandwich, and remember to flip the pickles/tomatoes to drain both sides fully. Place 2 slices of Muenster cheese to the side.
3. Put a thick (cast iron) skillet over the lowest heat possible to preheat. Once heated, place a knob of unsalted butter in to melt. Once fully melted and the pan is covered, place both slices of brioche bread in to grill on *one side* only. (This must be done slowly over the lowest possible temperature because brioche burns very easily due to its higher sugar content. You don't want it grilled dark, just golden brown.)
4. Make vinaigrette by combining all ingredients in a bottle (or container that has a lid) and shake vigorously to emulsify. It should be primarily tart and lemony, with the maple and dijon flavors in the background. Dress enough arugula for your sandwich and set aside. (Don't overdress it, just enough to make it glisten - if there's dressing pooling underneath the arugula you've done too much.)
5. Take grilled bread out of the pan (remember, only grill one side) and set with the grilled side up: that's the inside of the sandwich. Let cool and then spread evenly with mayonnaise on both pieces. (This is a key condiment - if you don't like mayo, I'm sorry, but this sandwich changes drastically if you replace it.)
6. Check bacon. It needs to be fully crispy and dark brown, almost caramelized. (If you don't get it fully crispy, it won't break when you bite through the sandwich and will pull all the other ingredients out with it.) Remove bacon when done and immediately place on a paper towel to drain and cool completely. It will firm up and get fully crispy as it cools.
7. Place all the pickles on one slice of bread, covering it fully. Then put one slice of cheese on each slice of bread.
8. Take 4 slices of cooled bacon and cut them in half with a sharp knife. (Breaking them or using a dull knife will shatter them.) Shingle 4 half-pieces on one side of the sandwich and the other 4 on the other side.
9. Next, season your tomatoes with a good pinch of kosher (or large grain) salt. This is essential! Unseasoned tomatoes are bland and watery, they come to life with salt. (You can optionally add fresh cracked black pepper as well.) Then place each slice of tomato on each side of the sandwich (on top of the bacon).
10. Now put the dressed arugula on the side that also has the pickles (on top of the tomato). And finally, place the half that does not have pickles or arugula on top of the other, completing the sandwich. It's a tall sandwich, so feel free to push gently on the top until you hear the bacon start to crunch. (Don't push so much that the tomato juice runs out, but you can make it a more manageable size with some pressure.)
11. Admire your work and then enjoy a juicy, salty, sweet, tangy take on the classic BLT.

Additional Tips

• This is fundamentally a tomato sandwich seasoned with bacon, pickles, cheese, etc. If you don't have good tomatoes then I'd advise waiting until you do to make this one.
• I don't recommend cutting it in half because the structure will be compromised. If you do cut it (like Trevor and I did for the episode), cut it so that the bacon slices are cut width-wise instead of length-wise (i.e., they'll end up in quarters and more square shaped).
• Don't shingle a smaller tomato as it will throw the structure out of whack. However, if you want to line up slices of a smaller tomato without overlapping, that can work; just be aware that multiple smaller tomatoes will make for a messier sandwich.
• If you want to swap the bread out for something like Hawaiian bread or another sweet, buttery bread, that's fine. Avoid rolls or crusty, crunchy breads; the sandwich is meant to be soft on the outside with a crispy crunch on the inside so your mouth doesn't get cut up biting in.
• You can swap the Muenster for another mild, salty cheese like provolone or Jack, but don't change it for bolder cheeses like Swiss or cheddar. The cheese is a background player, meant primarily to protect the bread from moisture and add a creamy element.
• If you don't like mayo, then I'd advise leaving it off and not using any other condiment. Other condiments won't serve the same purpose, and the sandwich is already tangy so something like mustard will throw it way out of balance.
• If you like spicy, I recommend getting sweet and spicy pickles to add that element, or possibly some pepper jack cheese. I don't think the sandwich needs it, but it could be a fun alternative. Make sure the spicy element is added to the outer layers (close to the bread) so that it hits your palate early and then the juicy tomato mixes in after.
• You can try swapping the arugula for another bitter green like cabbage, but the dressing is where a key tartness comes from, so keep it in a similar flavor profile. I like arugula because it doesn't change the texture of your bite the way a firmer green like cabbage would.
• And lastly, if you want a bold variation with a delicious kick, try rubbing a fresh garlic clove on one of the grilled pieces of bread. Be gentle, as brioche is very soft and raw garlic has a strong flavor. It adds a kick that's very tasty, but I wouldn't recommend normally just because it's raw garlic on a meal that's likely eaten midday. But if you aren't going to be kissing anyone later, try it out!