Fried Green Tomato and Pimento Cheese BLTs
Tomatoes thrive in the hot summers of the Gulf Coast, but in the fall, there always seems to be a surplus of hard, unripened green tomatoes that refuse to turn color on the vine. That’s when it’s time to pull out the skillet and make this delicious hybrid of a BLT and grilled cheese. Be sure to use sandwich bread with a firm crust and not a cottony variety—use crusty sourdough, if you wish.
Makes 4 sandwiches
Green Tomatoes
1/2 cup/70 g all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco®
1/2 cup/75 g yellow cornmeal, preferably stone ground
2 large green tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4-in./6-mm rounds
1/2 cup/120 ml vegetable oil
Cheese, Bacon, and Sandwich
8 slices firm, white sandwich bread (such as sourdough)
12 Tbsp/180 ml Zesty Pimento Cheese (see below)
8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp (see note) and cut in half crosswise
4 large red-leaf lettuce leaves
Zesty Pimento Cheese
2 cups/225 g shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup/120 ml mayonnaise
1 tsp minced canned chipotle in adobo
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp finely chopped pickled jalapeño slices, plus 1/2 tsp brine
2 Tbsp drained and finely chopped pimiento
1 Tbsp minced sliced green onion, white part only
Instructions
1
Zesty Pimento Cheese: Mix the cheese, mayonnaise, chipotle, lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce together in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until the cheese is broken up and the mixture is well combined.
2
Add the jalapeños and their brine, the pimientos, and green onion and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate to blend the flavors for at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.
3
Green Tomatoes: In a wide, shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper together. In a second bowl, beat the eggs and hot sauce together until well combined. In a third bowl, spread the cornmeal. One at a time, dip the green tomato slices in the flour mixture to coat, followed by the egg mixture and the cornmeal, being sure to coat them completely. Transfer the green tomato slices to a platter.
4
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and set the pan near the stove. In batches, add the green tomato slices to the oil and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the rack.
5
Meanwhile, position the broiler rack about 6 in./15 cm from the heat source and preheat the broiler.
6
Place the bread on the broiler rack and broil, turning once, until lightly toasted, about 1 1/2 minutes. Spread about 3 Tbsp of the pimento cheese on 4 of the toasted bread slices. Return to the broiler and cook just until beginning to melt (take care not to burn the exposed bread), about 30 seconds. The cheese will melt further from the warmth of the other sandwich ingredients. Remove from the broiler.
7
Divide the green tomato slices, bacon slices, and lettuce leaves among the cheese-topped slices and finish with the remaining bread. Cut each sandwich in half crosswise and serve immediately.
8
Note: Cooking Bacon The traditional way to cook bacon is in a skillet on top of the stove. But there are other ways that work better, especially when you need more than a few slices. For smaller amounts of bacon (say, up to six slices), you can microwave it according to the package directions. This usually involves layering the bacon in paper towels, but if you have a dedicated microwave bacon cooker, use it. Some brands state a maximum suggested number of slices, so cook the bacon in batches, if necessary. For larger amounts of bacon (up to a pound), baking is a great method because you don’t have to stand over a skillet while the slices cook. Place the slices side by side (they will shrink, so go ahead and crowd them) on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350°F/180°C oven, without turning the slices, until browned, about 20 minutes. Immediately transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. If you wish, for extra flavor, substitute 1/4 cup/60 ml of the rendered bacon fat for the vegetable oil when frying the green tomatoes, above.
Fried Green Tomato and Pimento Cheese BLTs
Tomatoes thrive in the hot summers of the Gulf Coast, but in the fall, there always seems to be a surplus of hard, unripened green tomatoes that refuse to turn color on the vine. That’s when it’s time to pull out the skillet and make this delicious hybrid of a BLT and grilled cheese. Be sure to use sandwich bread with a firm crust and not a cottony variety—use crusty sourdough, if you wish.
Makes 4 sandwiches
Green Tomatoes
1/2 cup/70 g all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco®
1/2 cup/75 g yellow cornmeal, preferably stone ground
2 large green tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4-in./6-mm rounds
1/2 cup/120 ml vegetable oil
Cheese, Bacon, and Sandwich
8 slices firm, white sandwich bread (such as sourdough)
12 Tbsp/180 ml Zesty Pimento Cheese (see below)
8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp (see note) and cut in half crosswise
4 large red-leaf lettuce leaves
Zesty Pimento Cheese
2 cups/225 g shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup/120 ml mayonnaise
1 tsp minced canned chipotle in adobo
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp finely chopped pickled jalapeño slices, plus 1/2 tsp brine
2 Tbsp drained and finely chopped pimiento
1 Tbsp minced sliced green onion, white part only
Instructions
1
Zesty Pimento Cheese: Mix the cheese, mayonnaise, chipotle, lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce together in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until the cheese is broken up and the mixture is well combined.
2
Add the jalapeños and their brine, the pimientos, and green onion and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate to blend the flavors for at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.
3
Green Tomatoes: In a wide, shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper together. In a second bowl, beat the eggs and hot sauce together until well combined. In a third bowl, spread the cornmeal. One at a time, dip the green tomato slices in the flour mixture to coat, followed by the egg mixture and the cornmeal, being sure to coat them completely. Transfer the green tomato slices to a platter.
4
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and set the pan near the stove. In batches, add the green tomato slices to the oil and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the rack.
5
Meanwhile, position the broiler rack about 6 in./15 cm from the heat source and preheat the broiler.
6
Place the bread on the broiler rack and broil, turning once, until lightly toasted, about 1 1/2 minutes. Spread about 3 Tbsp of the pimento cheese on 4 of the toasted bread slices. Return to the broiler and cook just until beginning to melt (take care not to burn the exposed bread), about 30 seconds. The cheese will melt further from the warmth of the other sandwich ingredients. Remove from the broiler.
7
Divide the green tomato slices, bacon slices, and lettuce leaves among the cheese-topped slices and finish with the remaining bread. Cut each sandwich in half crosswise and serve immediately.
8
Note: Cooking Bacon The traditional way to cook bacon is in a skillet on top of the stove. But there are other ways that work better, especially when you need more than a few slices. For smaller amounts of bacon (say, up to six slices), you can microwave it according to the package directions. This usually involves layering the bacon in paper towels, but if you have a dedicated microwave bacon cooker, use it. Some brands state a maximum suggested number of slices, so cook the bacon in batches, if necessary. For larger amounts of bacon (up to a pound), baking is a great method because you don’t have to stand over a skillet while the slices cook. Place the slices side by side (they will shrink, so go ahead and crowd them) on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350°F/180°C oven, without turning the slices, until browned, about 20 minutes. Immediately transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. If you wish, for extra flavor, substitute 1/4 cup/60 ml of the rendered bacon fat for the vegetable oil when frying the green tomatoes, above.
Fried Green Tomato and Pimento Cheese BLTs
Tomatoes thrive in the hot summers of the Gulf Coast, but in the fall, there always seems to be a surplus of hard, unripened green tomatoes that refuse to turn color on the vine. That’s when it’s time to pull out the skillet and make this delicious hybrid of a BLT and grilled cheese. Be sure to use sandwich bread with a firm crust and not a cottony variety—use crusty sourdough, if you wish.
Makes 4 sandwiches
Green Tomatoes
1/2 cup/70 g all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco®
1/2 cup/75 g yellow cornmeal, preferably stone ground
2 large green tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4-in./6-mm rounds
1/2 cup/120 ml vegetable oil
Cheese, Bacon, and Sandwich
8 slices firm, white sandwich bread (such as sourdough)
12 Tbsp/180 ml Zesty Pimento Cheese (see below)
8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp (see note) and cut in half crosswise
4 large red-leaf lettuce leaves
Zesty Pimento Cheese
2 cups/225 g shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup/120 ml mayonnaise
1 tsp minced canned chipotle in adobo
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp finely chopped pickled jalapeño slices, plus 1/2 tsp brine
2 Tbsp drained and finely chopped pimiento
1 Tbsp minced sliced green onion, white part only
Instructions
1
Zesty Pimento Cheese: Mix the cheese, mayonnaise, chipotle, lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce together in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until the cheese is broken up and the mixture is well combined.
2
Add the jalapeños and their brine, the pimientos, and green onion and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate to blend the flavors for at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.
3
Green Tomatoes: In a wide, shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper together. In a second bowl, beat the eggs and hot sauce together until well combined. In a third bowl, spread the cornmeal. One at a time, dip the green tomato slices in the flour mixture to coat, followed by the egg mixture and the cornmeal, being sure to coat them completely. Transfer the green tomato slices to a platter.
4
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and set the pan near the stove. In batches, add the green tomato slices to the oil and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the rack.
5
Meanwhile, position the broiler rack about 6 in./15 cm from the heat source and preheat the broiler.
6
Place the bread on the broiler rack and broil, turning once, until lightly toasted, about 1 1/2 minutes. Spread about 3 Tbsp of the pimento cheese on 4 of the toasted bread slices. Return to the broiler and cook just until beginning to melt (take care not to burn the exposed bread), about 30 seconds. The cheese will melt further from the warmth of the other sandwich ingredients. Remove from the broiler.
7
Divide the green tomato slices, bacon slices, and lettuce leaves among the cheese-topped slices and finish with the remaining bread. Cut each sandwich in half crosswise and serve immediately.
8
Note: Cooking Bacon The traditional way to cook bacon is in a skillet on top of the stove. But there are other ways that work better, especially when you need more than a few slices. For smaller amounts of bacon (say, up to six slices), you can microwave it according to the package directions. This usually involves layering the bacon in paper towels, but if you have a dedicated microwave bacon cooker, use it. Some brands state a maximum suggested number of slices, so cook the bacon in batches, if necessary. For larger amounts of bacon (up to a pound), baking is a great method because you don’t have to stand over a skillet while the slices cook. Place the slices side by side (they will shrink, so go ahead and crowd them) on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350°F/180°C oven, without turning the slices, until browned, about 20 minutes. Immediately transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. If you wish, for extra flavor, substitute 1/4 cup/60 ml of the rendered bacon fat for the vegetable oil when frying the green tomatoes, above.