Post by @seattlehanddoc

The best BLT I’ve ever had comes from a sandwich shop in Philadelphia called Middle Child. Every summer, people line up around the block for their heirloom tomato BLT—even the local news stations come out to cover it. When we stopped in after dropping our daughter at college, they were sold out, so we came home determined to recreate it. The secret we learned from the owner? TOMATO WATER. 🍅 Heavily salt heirloom tomatoes and let them sweat for 2+ hours on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to collect all that tomato water—it’s liquid gold. Drawing out the water concentrates the tomato flavor while somehow leaving you with the juiciest tomatoes you’ve ever had. Whisk the tomato water into a vinaigrette with olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt, pepper + dried herbs if you like, then toss with arugula. They serve theirs on a special rye bread, but we used sourdough. The owner told us to spread mayo edge to edge on both slices to help preserve the integrity of the bread. (Don’t believe it—that tomato juice is going to soak right through, and somehow make it even better.) Layer on those juicy tomatoes, dressed arugula + 5 slices of crispy bacon. You’ll never make a BLT any other way after this. #blt #middlechild #sandwich #heirloom #bestyoueverhad