This new school year means a return to the repeated task of packing of kids’ lunches again.
It also got me thinking about sandwiches. When you make sandwiches, or even burgers for that matter, do you fly by the seat of your pants? Simply throwing together ingredients haphazardly between bread/buns, or can it be an art form?
This technique I am about to share with you is tried, tested and true. I have experimented many times over with numerous ingredients in different combinations, and my steadfast rules are accurate. These steps will have you making sandwiches and burgers better than you have ever done before. These rules won’t apply to simple kids’ sandwiches (like peanut butter and jelly and such) – they are meant for more “complete” sandwiches. (If you are vegetarian or vegan, I will apologize in advance that I have not included your preferences in this scientific breakdown of layering ingredients.)
Most sandwiches and burgers consist of a bread top and bottom with a meat protein in-between. The secret lies in the placement of all the other ingredients.
My unwavering rule for perfection is simple: strong-tasting ingredients should be placed below the protein, while light and creamy ingredients should be placed above the protein. But why and how does that make a difference? Isn’t everything just chewed up in our mouths anyway and make for the same intermingling of flavours regardless of how it was assembled beforehand? Not exactly. We have a myriad of tastebuds located on different areas of our tongues, and they do not all pick up the same flavours. That’s the best way I can describe it from a chef’s perspective.
Now when I say “strong-tasting ingredients” I mean stuff like ketchup, relish, mustard, barbecue sauce, onions, pickles, hot peppers, etc. These should be placed below the protein.
Light and creamy ingredients would include lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayonnaise and should be placed above the protein.
I know I have only included a handful of examples of each type of strong, or light and creamy ingredients, but I think you get the point. With anything you are wanting to place inside a sandwich or burger, I simply want you to decipher it into these two simple categories and place it as stated. Trust me, it will make a huge difference.
I also have one more important tip for you: if you are adding lettuce and tomato, make sure you season with salt and pepper – it makes a world of difference as well. Use a pure salt (kosher, sea, Himalayan pink, etc.) because in raw applications like this, table salt will taste too chemically directly on your tongue.
Chef Dez is a chef, writer and host. Visit chefdez.com.
