The Bacon, Egg, and Cheese

THE BACON EGG AND CHEESE 

The BEC: a most glorious sight to any New Yorker on their most hungover day or a rainy Sunday, or just any day that ends in Y, if we’re being honest. 

If you don’t live in NYC, this probably seems extreme to you, but to those of us who inhabit the 5 boroughs, the BEC is basically a religion. 

And how could it not be? Let’s discuss the layers of this beautiful creation.  

Many will say a true BEC is on a roll but I don’t think that’s true. I think if you’re eating a New York staple, you eat it on the New York treasure also known as a bagel. I could probably go for days on this alone but I’ll try to keep it to a minimum. Bagels anywhere else are just subpar, and there is no argument against that, so don’t even try. I’m looking at you, Ohioans.

A quality New York bagel should be fluffy and soft in the center with a crust on the outside that is equal parts crunchy and chewy. This isn’t white bread with a hole or a baguette shaped in a circle, it’s a bagel that’s been boiled and then baked. Personally I believe a BEC should be on a savory bagel, whether that’s an everything, sesame, or even onion. A salt bagel may be extreme with the salty bacon but hey man, you do you. Don’t call me when your doctor yells at you. 

Anyway. Now for the bacon. Let me be clear: limp bacon has NO place on a BEC. If you’re one of those weird people who likes their bacon soft and fatty, well, eat that sh*t another time because it doesn’t belong here.You want crispy, almost burnt but not burnt, medium cut bacon so that your textures align. Eggs and cheese are soft and fatty so if you add flaccid bacon in there, it’s just a squishy mess and that won’t help your hangover. If you’re a bodega BEC kid, then yours will always be cooked right because it’s done on a flattop. Maybe your bagel spot is bougie and has pepper bacon which is a lovely addition but not necessary. 

Eggs. Honestly I could do without them because scrambled eggs are extremely low on the list of things I want to eat but they’re very important to this equation. One to two eggs only, otherwise you’ll throw off the perfect balance between ingredients. They should be scrambled, none of that poached or fried nonsense, and you want them a little soft but not so soft that they fall apart.

And finally, my personal favorite part, the cheese. Many purists would probably say it has to be American cheese with no exception but if I have a choice, I always pick cheddar. American cheese is barely even a cheese, the texture is like microwaved playdoh, and it doesn’t melt well. Yellow cheddar on the other hand- mmm, yes. It’s salty and rich but not overpowering, and it can hold its own under the heat so it won’t disintegrate into sauce when it meets the hot eggs. A fresh slice of quality cheddar will enhance anything, especially a BEC. Ideally the cheese gets melted over the eggs and then laid gently on the fresh bagel but this is just a technicality.

All of these parts are lovely on their own but when you put them together (in the right order) you get the most magnificent sandwich. Obviously I have serious opinions about this, which many New Yorkers probably do, and maybe I’d be open to hearing yours but only if their right.

Just kidding.

Sort of….