Ingredients
6 slices bacon
4 eggs
2 tbsp. butter, divided
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
6 slices American cheese, preferably yellow
2 kaiser rolls, sliced and lightly toasted
Ketchup, optional
Preparation
Step 1Preheat two medium non-stick pans (or one large griddle) over medium-high heat. In one of the medium pans (or one side of the griddle) add bacon and cook, flipping once, until bacon is cooked to your desired consistency, 4 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.Step 2While the bacon is cooking, in a small bowl using a fork, lightly scramble 2 eggs. There should still be streaks of white in the egg. Step 3Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the other pan (or other side of the griddle) and let melt until butter is slightly foamy. Add egg and cook, stirring them slightly but trying to keep them in one undisturbed, thin layer, until they’re set and starting to brown on the underside, 2 minutes. Step 4Season eggs with salt and pepper, then add 3 slices of cheese to one side of your eggs and let it begin to melt, 30 seconds. Fold your egg over your cheese until you have a shape that will fit in your roll. Transfer the eggs to the kaiser roll, add the 3 strips of bacon in small pieces, and top with ketchup, if using. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for your second sandwich. Step 5Serve immediately or wrap in parchment and foil.
Now this will never be your brioche bun-d, pepper bacon-d, poached egg-d, boujee type of sandwich. A BEC from a New York deli is the true definition of fast food. The egg will be whisked haphazardly, the bacon may have been sitting par cooked for half a day and the bun might not even toasted, but we swear if it isn’t the perfect way to start the day, we don’t know what is. We recently tried to recreate the magic in our Test Kitchen and we think we almost nailed the magic that is unfolded from that wax-paper and tin foil parcel that you get on a Saturday after a long night out. To ensure you make the best possible sandwich, keep these things in mind: The Kaiser Roll Is Your Only Bread Option (Unless You Can’t Find Them In Which Case That’s Totally okay) The Kaiser Roll is a crusty, round roll brought over to America by Austrian and German immigrants and has been the default (if not only) option for sandwich bread in most New York delis. It has a soft crumb on the outside that gives way to a pillowy and chewy inside that is hard to replace. However, we recognize that these might be difficult to find them where you live, so if you need a replacement we’d recommend something like a Portuguese roll or heartier hamburger bun. Don’t Over Scramble Your Eggs Bacon Egg and Cheese’s are made on the fly at delis. Usually the person behind the counter just received 4 increasingly complicated orders and needs to work quick. A true NYC-style BEC will have eggs that are just scrambled. There should still be streaks of white in the egg when you pour it in the pan. Get Your American Cheese From The Deli Counter Listen, the Delish team loves those pre-packaged, individually wrapped pieces of American cheese, but this is never what is being used behind the counter. Spend the extra buck or two to get your American cheese sliced from the block at your supermarket deli counter or at your local bodega. Ketchup Is Optional, Seasoning Your Eggs Is Not The argument over whether to put ketchup on a BEC has truly sparked fights in the Delish offices. At the end of the day we know that in this case it just comes down to preference, so to each their own! The thing that can never be skipped over is seasoning your eggs with salt and pepper. It may seem like a trivial step but it will add a ton of necessary flavor to your breakfast sandwich. Gave this New York classic a shot? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
