The PERFECT Southern Tomato Sandwich (Southerners are Going to be Mad)

The Great Southern Tomato Sandwich Debate:

To Toast or Not To Toast

PLUS

Mayo Wars are you Team Duke's, Hellmann's

(please don’t say Miracle Whip)

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The Bread Dilemma:

To Toast or Not to Toast

First, let's talk about this toasting of the bread situation. Apparently, there are folks out there who think you shouldn't toast your bread for a tomato sandwich. Preposterous! Of course, you toast it! Plain, untouched white bread? What is this, the 1950’s? No! For this sandwich, we toast our bread, in a pan, with butter. But, here's the kicker - only toast it on one side. These buttery crisp sides go on the INSIDE of the sandwich. This way, your sammie is much more prepared to take on the onslaught of all that glorious, sweet 'n tangy 'mayo n mater' juice. It’s literally the best of both worlds,

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The Mayo Wars:

Hellmann's vs. Duke's

(Miracle Whip isn’t Mayo)

Ah, the age-old dilemma – are you Team Hellmann's or Team Duke's when it comes to mayo? Let's settle this debate right here, right now, and, If you even dare to mention Miracle Whip in the same sentence as a tomato sandwich, I'm sorry, but you've lost your right to participate in this conversation. A blind tasting was held in Wilmington, NC with local chefs and mayo enthusiasts. Only 3 people who said they preferred Duke’s actually chose it in the tasting. I appreciate your loyalty, Southerners, but, I’m sorry…your mayo is mediocre.

Now, assuming that you have correctly chosen Hellmann's, it's time to slather it all over those perfectly toasted sides of the bread. Be generous. don't hold back! When you think you have enough, add more.

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The Tomato:

Ripe, Red, and Rebellious

Now, onto the star of the show – the tomato. None of that underripe nonsense here, folks. You want a tomato that practically screams "I am ripe AF!" Slice em thick, stack em high, and then, and this is crucial, hit em with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. This is where the flavor magic truly happens. Something about the addition of salt and pepper makes a tomato taste more tomato-ey. It's science.

Top off your tomato tower with the other half of the bread, give it a good press to meld all those flavors together, and then, the most important step – cut that sandwich into triangles. Why triangles, you ask? Well, besides the fact that it's a mathematically proven fact that triangles taste better, it also somehow makes the experience feel more gourmet.

Grab those napkins – trust me, you're going to need them, and dig in! If the juice isn’t running down your forearms you didn’t do it right. The juiciness of a properly constructed southern tomato sandwich is not for the faint-hearted. In fact, I tend to employ something akin to the Chicago Beef Lean and suggest you do, too. Embrace the mess, savor the flavors, and bask in the drippy glory of this simple yet extraordinary creation.

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So, does devouring a perfectly crafted southern tomato sandwich make you a Southerner? Well, maybe not officially. But, in that moment of bliss, you'll certainly feel like one.