This take on a BLT has been on my mind for a long time. The idea of using a tomatillo came when we knew living in the north it would be hard to find green tomatoes. The tomatillos worked perfectly. The saltiness of the pancetta and sourness from the tomatillos made this our favorite BLT ever.
Sandwich
6 ounces Pancetta
6 Tomatillos, sliced thinly
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Corn Meal
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
2 cups Arugala
1 loaf Multigrain Bread
1 cup Mexican Pimento Cheese (recipe below)
Start by frying the pancetta until crispy over medium low heat. Drain on a paper toweled plate and save for later. Save the fat in the pan for the tomatillos.
Peel the skins off the tomatillos and rinse the stickiness off. Slice thinly. Mix the eggs and milk in one bowl and the flour and corn meal in another. Dredge the tomatillo slices one by one into the flour mixture then into the egg mixture then back into the flour. Set the slices on a baking sheet till ready to fry.
Mix the vegetable oil with the pancetta fat in a skillet. Heat to medium and put four or five tomatillos in. Let them brown on each side. This should take around 4 minutes total. Drain the tomatillos on a paper towel and set aside for later. These will be really hot so wait a little while to taste!
Mexican Pimento Cheese
4 ounces Cream Cheese
1 cup Queso Fresco
2 Serrano Chilies seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Mix all the ingredients together in an electric mixer.
Toast the bread with olive oil in the broiler until golden brown. Spread a layer of cheese on both sides. Place the tomatillos on one side of the bread and top with pancetta. Put the arugula on the other side and put the sandwich together. Enjoy!!
