Two Classic Summer Sandwiches

 

Hi folks, Chef G. here.  As you may have noticed, I've been on a long hiatus from my famous cooking blog.  But just because I've been gone for what seems like ages, don't start thinking that I'm a no-good lazy bum of a chef.  Ohhhh no!  No, no, no!  Quite the contrary, actually.  I bought an expensive new chef's hat, I've been busy researching high quality food products, I've been working on my chefological skills, and I've been creating delicious dishes like a madman.  I hope you'll agree that there is no madman like Chef G. on a cooking mission.  Anyway, I'm happier than heck to be back so that I can fulfill all of your foodie dreams.

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Here's the deal about today's episode: It's all about sandwiches.  Nice, cool, summery sandwiches.  Classic sandwiches done Chef G. style.  I'm just in time too.  There is still a glimmer of summer left before the snow and ice of autumn return to frigid Minnesota.  If you live in areas further north than Minnesota and winter has already arrived, you can save these fine recipes for next year.  And if you are one of my five or six fans in the southern hemisphere, summer is just around the corner and you'll be basking in warm sunshine & cool sandwiches in no time. 

PART ONE:  The LTB

Perhaps you've heard of a "BLT."  I don't like that name.  It brings images of a belt, or a bullet, or a blot.  Who would want to eat one of those things?  Not me.  That's why I refer to my sandwich as an "LTB." By rearranging the first letters of the ingredients--lettuce, tomatoes and bacon--I miraculously invented an all-new classic sandwich.  Pretty clever on my part, I must say.

Here is how you can make an LTB of your own:

It all starts with good bacon--thick-cut bacon that has at least as much meat as fat.  (It's nice if you have a next-door neighbor who buys half a pig at a time from a reputable butcher and shares some of it with you.)

Broil the bacon until it's crispy, but not TOO crispy.  The goal should be a nice mix of chewy and crispy.  (Frying the bacon in a cast iron pan is even better, but Mrs. Chef G. doesn't like me to do that because she claims I don't do a good enough job cleaning up the bacon grease that splatters all over the stove and countertops.)

 

While broiling your bacon to chewy/crispy excellence, cut a fresh garden tomato into thin slices.
Again, it helps to have a neighbor across the street who invites you to pick as many of her tomatoes as you can. 

The advantages of leafy green lettuce from the local food co-op cannot be overestimated.

Pretty much any good bread will do, but I like sourdough from the bakery.

After the bacon is removed from the oven, let the grease drain onto paper towels.

At this point, put a couple pieces of sourdough bread in the toaster, take a break, and relax with a nice IPA.  (That will help you resist scarfing down all the bacon before lunch time.)  Then you can start assembling the LTB in the following order:

Smear some mayonnaise onto the toasted bread.

Next comes a big chunk of green-leaf lettuce . . .

 . . . followed by a few strips of the meaty bacon . . .

. . . followed by a couple slices of sweet, garden-fresh tomatoes . . .

. . . then another big leaf of lettuce.  Slap the other slice of toasted sourdough bread on top of it all and chow down.  It doesn't get much better than that on a hot summer day.

Mmmmm

Part Two:  The Chicken Salad Sandwich

In case you've forgotten, I have featured sandwiches here on the Chef G. Cooking Channel before.  But they've always been hot sandwiches like a grilled cheese, a reuben, a burger, a bratwurst, a hotdog, etc.  I'm here to tell you that cold sandwiches like the LTB can be equally delicious.  Here comes another one!

Most people call it a Chicken Salad Sandwich.  I do too, though I was tempted to change the name to "Chef G's Celery-Onion-Mayo-Salt-Pepper-Mustard-Sandwich-With Heaps of Chicken."

My recipe says it all, but I'll show some pictures anyway.

The ingredients for a scrumptious summer sandwich.  The chicken is what sets my recipe apart from other chicken salad sandwich recipes.  I grilled chicken thighs yesterday and chopped up the leftovers today.  The smoky flavor from the grill adds a lot of special specialness.

Pour them all together in a bowl and stir.

Then it will look like this.

Smear some of the mixture onto a slice of toasted sourdough bread.  (Yup, sourdough is my favorite for summer sandwiches.) Eat like there is no tomorrow.

Thank you for tuning in to the Chef G. Channel and enduring my shenanigans once again.  See you next time?