NYC-Style Bacon, Egg & Cheese

If you, like many of us on the Delish team, grew up in the Tri-State Area (the towns and counties in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut that surround New York City), you know that there are few things more ubiquitous and important than a good deli. Sure there are so many different types of delicatessens all throughout these glorious states, from Italian speciality sandwich shops to bodegas with a mini taqueria tucked in the back corner. But for most, a real deli is just the one on the corner. A bodega. Where you can pick up a car air freshener, a six pack of beer, a pair of underwear, a pint of ice cream and pet a cat, all in one quick visit. Oh and you'll probably get the best bacon, egg and cheese of your life there too.

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!