Spicy Fried Egg BLT’s with Tomato Confit, Sorghum Glazed Bacon, Butter Lettuce, Chipotle Mayo, Fried Egg, & Pepperjack Cheese on Bacon Fat Fried Bread

Spicy Fried Egg BLT’s with Tomato Confit, Sorghum Glazed Bacon, Butter Lettuce, Chipotle Mayo, 

Fried Egg, & Pepperjack Cheese on Bacon Fat Fried Bread

This is my hangover sandwich. Does it need any further explanation besides that it comforts me the day after I have drank too much. Okay, that might sound bad, but it is essential to life. Yesterday, the weather was just too gorgeous not to enjoy, so we decided to have some friends over and have a good ole Southern chicken fry. While the chicken was frying, we drank (heavily) and played beer pong in the garden. It was a great day and an even better night. Don't you just love those kind of weekends? I do... well, at least until Sunday. I woke up this morning with a gnarly headache, a grumbling stomach, and body aches. I mean, they don't call it the Margarita Flu for nothin'. Everyone has their own cure for a hangover... mine requires a lot of fluids, quality nap time, lifetime movies, and this sandwich. It has everything that you would want from a sandwich... a runny egg, crispy bacon, buttery bread, acidic tomatoes, spicy mayo, and creamy cheese. It doesn't get much better than that. Some people might recognize the idea behind this sandwich because it comes from the movie, Spanglish. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to watch it just so you can see him make and enjoy it. You'll want to run out immediately at the movie is done and get all the ingredients to make this BLT, I guarantee it. I put my little twist on it by glazing the bacon with sorghum molasses, making it spicy with some pepperjack cheese + chipotle mayo, and frying the bread in bacon fat. And hey, even if you aren't hungover, this sandwich still hits the spot!! Enjoy :)

For the Tomato Confit:

Barely Ripe Roma Tomatoes, Sliced ¼inch Thick

Olive Oil

Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Sorghum Glazed Bacon:

Slices of Thick Applewood Smoked Bacon

Sorghum Molasses, For Brushing (high quality maple syrup can be substituted as well)

For the Chipotle Mayo:

½C Mayo

1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce + 1t Adobo Sauce

Pinch of Chili Powder

Lime Zest + Fresh Garlic Paste, To Taste (just add a little bit at a time)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste (I also like a pinch of sugar)

For the Spicy Fried Egg BLT’s:
Homemade Rustic Bread Slices or Sourdough Slices, Fried in Bacon Fat until Golden Brown

Tomato Confit Rounds

Sorghum Glazed Bacon (we liked 4 slices per sandwich)

Prepared Chipotle Mayo

Slices of Pepperjack Cheese (two pieces of cheese per sandwich)

Butter Lettuce Leaves

Fried Eggs, Cooked to Your Preference (sprinkled with a touch of salt & pepper)

Directions:

1. For the Tomato Confit: Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and lay the slices of tomato onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the fresh rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Bake for 4 hours until shriveled around the edge, but still maintaining their juice. If you have leftover tomatoes, simply cover the leftovers with olive oil and place into the refrigerator.

2. For the Sorghum Glazed Bacon:Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lay the bacon slices on top of a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Bake the slices of bacon for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. Remove them from the oven and brush them heavily with the sorghum molasses (or maple syrup if you are substituting it), and then return them to the oven for another 5 minutes or so, or until the maple syrup is slightly sticky. Set aside until you are ready to layer them onto the sandwich.

3. For the Chipotle Mayo: Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree until a smooth mayo has formed. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and check for any other needed additions. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.

4. Assembling the Sandwiches: Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and fry the slices of bread in rendered bacon fat until they are lightly golden brown in color. Remove them from the oil and spread both slices of the bread with a generous amount of the chipotle mayo, and then lay on the two slices of pepperjack cheese on top of both pieces of bread. Toast the bread in an oven until the cheese has just melted. Remove them from the oven and begin layering. We did this by laying down the sorghum glazed bacon, tomato confit rounds, butter lettuce leaves, and then the fried egg. Top the assembled sandwich with the other slice of toasted bread. Cut the sandwich in half and enjoy the happiness of a runny yolk dripping down your sandwich. Eat immediately while it’s still warm.