This is a most delicious Pastime – even if it is bereft of a good sized, vine-ripened Bradley tomato – a rare, almost mythical delicacy craved far beyond the border of my home town with the red brick streets – Warren.
But sitting here some 250 miles northwest of Warren and thinking about all things Pink Tomato – the memories of a pair of one-on-one discussions with Lords of the Restaurant Grill – Kay Wisener and Paul Whitaker – on how to really make a BLT – that often abbreviated, but seldom accomplished masterpiece of a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.
I’ve grown up on the same.
Many times, it was without the bacon.
Most likely without very much if any lettuce at any time.
But never without the crowning glory, that slice (or slices) of a big thick, juicy, tasty tomato.
I’ll stop the discussion right there.
If you are not from Warren and Bradley County – you will not – and almost cannot – discern the difference between a slice of the real Arkansas State Fruit – the vine-ripened Pink Tomato and all the imposters out there.
I have always found this single, undisputed fact: If you have to ask if the slice of tomato you just bit into is from a Bradley variety tomato?
Well, you have any business at all, eating a BLT and saying you know what the sandwich really is.
Accept those other varieties of tomatoes only because you know the difference and cannot find the real “Bradley’s” where you live, work and play.
If someone in the area says these are “Bradley’s” well, wait, the taste can and will tell the truth.
Recently, a retired state Legislator, Jimmy Jeffress of Crossett, who spent a fair amount of time in both the Arkansas House and the State Senate, posted a photo of his first BLT of the year on his Facebook page.
Always kidding and trading barbs on the electronic medium, I posted this to his post: “Everyone has seen white bread, show the slice of tomato and the bacon, next time.”
That drew many emojis of wide-open laughs from all across our mutual friends.
But it is the truth.
Making a BLT is more than just white bread.
Then recently, my good friend, Rex Nelson of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, not letting the annual Pink Tomato tribute from the late Paul Greenberg fade into oblivion, wrote this first tribute to the Pink Tomato.
The only mistake Rex made was using wheat bread.
Hence, this Pastime.
Twice in my youth, as time and memories roll on this day, I spent time in the grill with both Kay Wisener of the Corral fame and Paul Whitaker at Wayne’s.
No, I never worked at either establishment, but a goodly part of my meager wages from the Eagle-Democrat in my printer’s devil days went to both establishments.
Here are the tips I remember.
Hand select a nice, big, firm tomato. Set it aside while all the other work begins.
On a warmed grill, take three slices of quality bacon, not ends and not skimpy slices, slap them on the grill.
Then take two pieces of white bread – Wayne’s and the Corral used Wonder Bread; Cactus Vick would have loved that.
Paint the bread with a slap of two melted butter and place on the grill to toast.
In our little house out of Highway 15 (now 63) and later on the Old Camden Road, the toaster was this odd looking little domed electrical device you laid the bread on a sliding tray and thrust into the “toaster,” to brown. There were no “pop-up” toaster units back then.
After a slight toasting, Paul and Kay would flip the bread to the other side.
The bacon, always three slices, was to be freshly cooked on the grill, would always – I repeat – ALWAYS – be limber and dripping grease.
Kids today – there were no MICROWAVES – back then – Bacon was not micro waved to look like a dry, tasteless, piece of cardboard.
Once removing the toast, slather on a thin, but amble layer of mayonnaise. Wayne’s made their own, if memory serves me correctly.
Take out the two or three pre-washed and dried pieces of iceberg lettuce, not getting too much of the whiteness or wetness on the leaf for the sandwich.
Then stop and slice the tomato.
Not too thin.
Not too thick.
But slice it from edge to edge and include that little bit of skin – do not peel the tomato.
From the bottom slice of toast, mayo, lettuce, bacon and top with tomato. The top piece of bread, mayo right on top.
DO NOT MASH, I repeat DO NOT MASH, this sandwich.
That is the No. 1 no no, of all times. Don’t mash this masterpiece.
If you must, take a large sharp knife, slice the crusts off the bread, and even cut the entire sandwich at a 90-degree angle – if you must – to serve.
No salt.
No pepper.
No special sauce.
Paul Whitaker would always tell me: “Never ask them if it is good, Hell, yes, it is good. Ask them if they want another one?”
That’s a Pastime that will make you head for the kitchen no matter the time of day or night.
