The Simple Sandwich You Shouldn't Count Out During Tomato Season
When summer tomatoes are at their peak, it's best to prepare them as simply as possible. In Italy, that preparation might take the form of a Caprese salad, complete with sliced heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and a little olive oil and vinegar. In the Southern U.S., it's most likely a tomato sandwich, the most basic version of which is composed of just a few ingredients: tomatoes, bread, and mayonnaise (plus salt and pepper). As far as we know, people have been tucking into tomato sandwiches since at least 1911, when the dish made its first appearance in the pages of The Virginia Chronicle.
Despite its seemingly straightforward components, making a classic tomato sandwich is a little more exacting than a non-Southerner might think. The tomatoes have to be just right, the mayonnaise must exclude certain brands, and — perhaps most importantly — the bread has to meet some pretty strict criteria. What's more, different people have different opinions on the perfect tomato sandwich. So where do you start?
The laws of the sandwich
Food writer Eric Kim, who grew up eating tomato sandwiches in Georgia, wrote in a piece published by The New York Times that readers of his hometown's Gwinnett Magazine define a Southern tomato sandwich as two slices of untoasted white bread that "[stick] to the back of your teeth," a ripe, juicy tomato fresh from the vine, salt, pepper, and a generous spread of real (read: not Miracle Whip) mayonnaise.
"There's debate about whether the bread needs to be toasted," explained Kim, who went on to cite respected pro-toasted-tomato-sandwich-makers like Jason Skrobar (the author of a forthcoming book about sandwiches) and J. Kenji López-Alt, who toasts just one side of the bread. Though Kim noted that neither culinary whiz is from the South, he lauded López-Alt's take for adhering to a particular hallmark of the sandwich, with (at least one slice of) bread "maintaining its pillowy softness inside." Simply put, as Kim opines, a Southern tomato sandwich must, indeed, use soft and squishy bread in some capacity.
As for the tomatoes, anything ripe and juicy will do. Reach for an heirloom, a Campari, a Cherokee Purple, or whatever other delights your garden or nearest farmers market has in store.
Other takes on the tomato sandwich
If untoasted white bread doesn't spark your appetite but you still like the idea of making a sandwich with the finest summer tomatoes, we won't tell anyone if you decide to go against Southern tradition. You certainly wouldn't be the first to put your own spin on the dish. Take Instagram-famous recipe developer Carolina Gelen, whose tomato sandwich recipe calls for a "silky olive oil mayo" with Dijon mustard and vinegar, MSG-marinated heirloom tomatoes, and thick-sliced, garlic-rubbed, lightly toasted bread.
If you want to stick slightly closer to tradition, go with J. Kenji López-Alt's aforementioned tomato sandwich. With the exception of the toasted bread, his version has all the makings of a Southern-approved lunch, made even more flavorful with Japanese Kewpie mayo. He notes that high-quality tomatoes are the most essential part of a good tomato sandwich; a sentiment we imagine any Southerner would agree with.