In this installment
Bacon bits
About Burgers’
T.L.B. B.L.T. Recipe
Bacon bits
Maker: Steve Burger in California, Missouri
Cure: Dry Cured for seven to ten days in salt, sugar and pepper
Smoke: Smoked over hickory for 12-18 hours
Taste: Hearty, meaty, satisfying
About Burgers’
Steven Burger is the 3rd generation to work with all parts of the pig. “My grandfather sold his first cured ham in 1927, but the business didn’t really start until 1952.” Steven told me. “He did a lot of things to make a living… whatever it took to make ends meet. He was an entrepreneur in every way. I remember he raised rabbits, popcorn…a lot of risky endeavors that didn’t always pay off.”
Steven started working in the family business when he was thirteen. He learned every aspect of the business before heading off to college to get some outside experience. In 1984 he started back in the business. It’s grown 80% since then. While they make a number of different bacons with different cures and different spicing, the Bacon Steaks stand out as unique in their selection and in the food world in general.
Bacon steaks are thick cuts (1/4”) and hardy enough to go on the grill. (If you do cook them on the grill, which tastes fantastic by the way, remember to keep a spray bottle of water at the ready to quelch any flare ups that might occur when the grease drips on the fire.) The bacon steaks, and thicker cuts of bacon in general, take a bit longer to cook in the oven or in the pan than “standard” cuts of bacon. The trade off in cook time is more than made up for by the meaty, chewy bacon you eat at the end. They make the type of BLT that would have satisfied Paul Bunyan.
T.L.B. B.L.T. Recipe
AKA The Laurel Blakemore Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich. Aside from being the only palindrome recipe name I know, this also makes a really good sandwich, which has long been very popular at Zingerman’s Deli. It’s named for Dr. Laurel Blakemore, horse fanatic, show jumper, pediatric orthopedic surgeon and a big lover of bacon.
2-4 slices bacon
2 slices crusty country bread (we use Zingerman’s Farm Bread)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 slices aged Vermont Cheddar cheese
2 thick slices of good tomato
handful of good lettuce
Cook the bacon in a frying pan until done. Remove from pan and drain, but leave the pan on the heat.
Spread mayonnaise on both slices of bread. Put a slice of cheese on each slice, then add the bacon and tomato.
Assemble the sandwich, give it a gentle press with your palm and slide it into the hot pan. Weigh it down with a bowl and fry until golden brown. Flip, brown the other side and remove from pan.
Add the lettuce, cut the sandwich on whatever angle your heart desires and eat it while it’s hot.