A BLT with Kale, Guacamole, and a Fried Egg is a delicious twist on the classic BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato) sandwich. This combination adds extra flavor, texture, and nutrients to the traditional sandwich.

Bacon Fat Ties this Sandwich Together

A key ingredient that ties this whole sandwich together is bacon fat. The kale will need to be sauteed in a fat, the bread will want to be toasted in a fat, and the egg needs to be fried in a fat; and if we use bacon fat for all three, it will tie the whole sandwich together.

A straightforward way to incorporate bacon fat throughout the sandwich is to cook the bacon first in a skillet and retain the rendered bacon fat. Next, the same skillet is used to saute the kale in the bacon fat. Then, the bread is toasted in the bacon fat. And, finally, the egg is fried in the bacon fat.

Unfortunately, the bacon for this sandwich does not yield enough bacon fat to use to cook all of the other three ingredients, so at some point in the process another fat will need to be added to supplement. The recipe below suggests butter, because that’s what is often on hand. But if you’ve reserved and stored bacon fat, this is the perfect time to bring it out.

Consider Using a Bacon Weave

Bacon Weave on a BLT with Kale, Guacamole and Fried Egg

A bacon weave is a cooking technique where strips of bacon are woven together like a basket weave before cooking. The grid-like pattern hold pieces of bacon together inside the sandwich, and it can be used to fit the bacon to the shape of the bread. Cooking the bacon weave in the oven is also a good way to keep the bacon flat, and is an easy way to harvest bacon fat. When I make the BLT with Kale, Guacamole and Fried Egg, I cook the bacon weave first and use the accumulated bacon fat along with supplemental stored bacon fact to cook the other ingredients.

Use Excellent Tomatoes

Juicy Tomato on a BLT with Kale, Guacamole and Fried Egg

The tomato is the star of any BLT, and should be given special consideration. I tend to view the BLT primarily as a tomato sandwich with bacon flavor; and for my tomato sandwich I use only the best tomatoes I can get my hands on. I also consider the BLT to be a seasonal sandwich because late summer is the only time that the tomatoes that I consider to be worthy are available.

If I can find a monster tomato, I like to use a single 3/8″-thick slice that is large enough to cover the entire sandwich. If not, I cover the sandwich with overlapping 1/4″-thick slices.

Seasoning the tomato with a pinch or two of salt and some freshly ground black pepper will emphasize its flavor. The way that salt affects our senses will make a sweet, juicy tomato taste even sweeter and juicier. And the heat of fresh ground black pepper will add contrast to the sweetness of the tomato.

Preparation

Crack the egg into a small bowl. Whenever I fry eggs, I like to start by breaking each egg into a its own small bowl before preparing the rest of the ingredients. If the eggs have been in the fridge, this gives them a little time to approach room temperature, which with help them to cook evenly. This will also ensure that the eggs are ready to go when the time comes to cook them.

Cook the bacon: If using a bacon weave, prepare it at this point and reserve the bacon fat for the remainder of the recipe. Otherwise, Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon slices and cook until they are crispy, turning them occasionally. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Once done, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess grease.

Prepare the kale: Wash the kale leaves and shake dry. Remove the stems and coarsely chop the leaves.

Cook the kale: Add the chopped kale leaves to the same skillet used for the bacon, and sauté for about 2-3 minutes until they become slightly wilted. Remove the kale from the skillet and set aside. Season with a pinch of Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Toast the bread: If necessary, add butter or bacon fat to the skillet. Then toast the bread in the skillet until golden brown on both sides. Remove the bread from the skillet and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

Start to Assemble the Sandwich: On the bottom slice of toasted bread, spread a generous amount of guacamole. Layer the sautéed kale leaves on top of the guacamole. Place the bacon on the kale. Place a slice of tomato on top of the bacon. Season the tomato with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Fry the Egg: If necessary, add butter or bacon fat to the skillet. Tip the egg into the skillet and cook it how you prefer (sunny-side-up and over-easy provide a wet yolk).

Complete the Sandwich Assembly: Add the fried egg over the tomato. On one side of the top slice of bread, spread a little more guacamole, or a little mayonnaise, or leave it dry. Place the bread on top of the sandwich.

Cut the Sandwich in Half. This sandwich is easiest to eat if it is cut in half diagonally into triangles.

Notes:

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Equipment that I used:

Small Glass Bowls: Whenever fried eggs are part of a recipe, the first thing I do is break them individually into small bowls. That way, they’re ready to go when I need them and I also have the opportunity to fish out pieces of broken shell if I need to.
12″ Cast Iron Skillet: The heat-retention and non-stick properties of cast-iron make it a perfect material for grilling, searing, and frying. It’s also a good choice for recipes like this one, because the kale and the eggs could be cooked in the same oil and in the same pan as the bacon, tying together the flavors in the sandwich and minimizing cleanup.
Fish Spatula: I used a fish spatula in this recipe because it’s designed to lift and turn delicate foods like the eggs. But it can also handle most other foods, so I could use it for the kale and the bread, and only have one spatula to clean afterwards.
Bread Knife: Keeping a BLT together while cutting it can be a challenge because applying too much pressure to cut through the hard ingredients can tend to crush the soft ingredients. The trick is to make several, light-pressure saw strokes, and a long, sharp, serrated bread knife is advantageous for the purpose.

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