Skip One Bacon Prep Step And You'll Ruin Your BLT Sandwich

Making a bacon, lettuce, and tomato (BLT) sandwich might sound easy enough. It's just a few ingredients, right? Nope. If you want every bite to actually taste like a good BLT, there's one bacon prep step you can't skip: Draining off the extra grease. Forget that, and the whole thing starts falling apart.

This might be obvious to some people, but if you're not cooking a lot, it's not always the first thing you think about. Bacon grease left sitting there is going to soak into the bread, make it heavy, soggy, and overly greasy. So much so that you'll need to keep grabbing napkins and still end up with oil on your shirt – and those stains are a nightmare to get out. It's one of the biggest BLT mistakes, and one of the easiest to avoid.

A BLT doesn't have a lot going on in terms of ingredients, so if one thing is off, you notice it right away. Bacon's the main player here, so getting it right can make or break your sandwich. Draining the grease is one part, but what bacon you use makes a difference, too. The thickness of your bacon matters for a BLT. Thin-cut applewood-smoked bacon works great — crisp and light, with a subtle smokiness that works with the tomato and lettuce.

Draining bacon isn't complicated. Once it's cooked how you like it, grab each strip with tongs, and hold it over the pan for a few seconds so some grease drips back in. Then, move it to a cooling rack or a plate with paper towels. If you're using paper towels, you might have to flip the bacon onto a clean spot, or just swap the towels if they're soaked. This keeps it from getting soggy.

Pan-frying is the most popular cooking method, but you've got options. Grilling your BLT ingredients also works. It gives it a nice smoky flavor, and if you line the grill with foil, it's way less messy. The oven's also a good choice for even cooking. Use a wire rack over a sheet pan so the grease doesn't sit under the strips.

When you're done, you're still going to have grease left over. Don't dump it down the sink unless you want to clog your pipes. And tossing it out is a waste. Bacon fat is gold for scrambled eggs, roasted vegetables, cornbread, and even popcorn. There are many ways to upgrade your recipes with bacon grease. Let it cool a little, store it in a glass or metal container in the fridge for a few months, or freeze it in an ice cube tray so you can grab what you need later.