In Defense of the Bacon Sandwich.

Bacon has had a bad rap lately, as a consequence of a rather badly reported and seriously misinterpreted study on the apparent consequences of eating meat. The bad rap is a consequence of a misunderstanding of (or opportunistic refusal of click-bait journalists to explain) the difference between absolute risk and relative risk. I do not intend to go into the difference here, I am sure you will be relieved to know, but instead want to face this bacon-shaming head-on with a paean to the glorious thing called a bacon sandwich.

My source is a booklet produced by the Division of Home Economics, University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension Division, in June 1935. The booklet is called Selection and Use of Bacon, and, quite properly for a publication with such a title, it includes a comments and ideas on the bacon sandwich.

Bacon Sandwiches.

Season chopped crisp bacon with mayonnaise or cooked salad dressing. Place between slices of buttered toast. For variation, add lettuce, or tomato, or hard cooked egg, or stuffed olives.

Bacon-Egg Club Sandwich.

Scrambled egg                      1 tb. milk

1 egg                                       ¼ t. salt

Beat egg, add milk and seasoning, beat. Put in upper part of double boiler and cook until egg is coagulated.

Place scrambled egg on a slice of buttered toast. Cover with slice of buttered toast, place slices of crisply cooked bacon on toast, add mayonnaise dressing, cover with slices of tomato. Garnish with parsley. [The recipe seems to omit the final slice of toast?]

The egg may be fried instead of scrambled.

Open-face Sandwich.

Place two slices of toast on a plate or small platter. On one, place three slices of crisply cooked bacon; on the other a fried or scrambled egg. In one lettuce cup arrange sections of tomato and in another mayonnaise dressing. Place olives in the center. Serve hot. Chicken or cold meat may be used instead of the scrambled egg.

The booklet also has a recipe for bacon rarebit, which also fits nicely, I think, into the sandwich concept.

Bacon Rarebit.

½ c. bacon                            2 ½ tb. flour

1 c. milk                                 1 egg

2 tb. bacon fat                       ½ t. salt

½ c. cheese

Make a white sauce in the double boiler. Cook 5 minutes. Add beaten egg and grated cheese. Cook slowly until the cheese is melted. Add ½ cup crisp bacon cut in small pieces. Serve on crackers or small pieces of toast.