Bacon Wrapped Fried Green Tomato and Pimento Grill

Ingredients:

Cooking oil for frying
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 green tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 small slices bread, slightly toasted
1/2 cup pimento spread (store bought)
20 bacon strips (long strips work best)
sea salt and coarse black pepper, to taste
4 Bibb lettuce leaves


Directions:

1.  Heat oil in large skillet (med/high)
2.  Add cornmeal to small bowl.  Add half the flour to bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir
3.  Add remaining 1/2 cup flour to another bowl.
4.  Add egg to separate bowl, beat.
5.  Slice tomatoes.  Dredge into flour, then into buttermilk then into cornmeal mixture.
6.  Place into hot skillet with oil.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Fry on both sides (approx. 2 mins each side) until brown.  Drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
7.  Spread pimento spread onto one side of each slice of bread.
8.  Place about 4 slices of fried tomatoes onto each sandwich.  Seal with remaining slice of bread.
9.  Wrap approx. 5 slices of bacon around each sandwich, tucking edges to seal.  Be careful not to overlap more than twice in one area because bacon will not cook.
10.  Preheat oven to 375.  Place sandwiches on wire rack inside baking dish.  Bake in oven until brown.  Approx. 20-25 mins., depending on oven.
11.  Remove from oven and let sit for 10 mins before slicing.  Serve on slice of bibb lettuce.