Classic Wedge Salad

Method

1. Start with the blue cheese dressing. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, and minced garlic. Whisk until smooth. Fold in the 2 oz of crumbled blue cheese, keeping the chunks intact — you want pockets of cheese throughout the dressing, not a uniform paste.

2. Season the dressing with salt and pepper, then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Chilling allows the flavors to meld and the dressing to thicken slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be tangy, creamy, and assertively cheesy.

3. Prepare the iceberg lettuce by removing any wilted outer leaves. Cut the head into quarters through the core, keeping the core intact so each wedge holds together. Rinse gently under cold water and pat dry thoroughly — excess water dilutes the dressing.

4. Cook the bacon in a cold skillet set over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until crispy and rendered (about 8-10 minutes). Drain on paper towels and crumble into bite-sized pieces. Starting bacon in a cold pan renders the fat slowly, producing evenly crispy strips.

5. Place each iceberg wedge on a chilled plate. Spoon a generous amount of blue cheese dressing over the top, letting it cascade down the sides of the wedge. The cold, crisp lettuce against the rich dressing is the whole point of this salad.

6. Scatter halved cherry tomatoes, crumbled bacon, and additional blue cheese over and around each wedge. The contrast of textures — crunchy lettuce, creamy dressing, crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes — is what makes this simple salad so satisfying.

7. Finish with freshly sliced chives and a generous crack of black pepper. Serve immediately while the lettuce is still ice-cold and the bacon is still crispy.

Equipment

• Large skillet (12-inch) Also good: Tramontina Professional 10-Inch Non Stick Frying Pan
• Whisk Recommended: OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk

Chef Notes

• The most important thing: Pull at 140°F internal — it carries over to 145°F during rest. The old 160°F rule is outdated and produces dry pork.
• Add oil or butter slowly — a thin stream, not a pour. Rushing the emulsion causes it to break. Patience is the technique.
• This comes together in 15 minutes — have everything prepped before you start cooking. Speed is the technique here.
• Taste as you go and adjust seasoning at the end. Salt levels change as liquids reduce and flavors concentrate.

Common Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitution	Notes
Bacon	Pancetta or turkey bacon	Pancetta is unsmoked. Turkey bacon is leaner.
Sour cream	Greek yogurt	Tangier and higher protein — works well.
Whole milk	Oat milk or almond milk	Oat milk is creamiest. Almond is thinner — add 1 tsp oil.
White wine	Chicken broth + 1 tsp lemon juice	Loses the wine fruit but keeps the acidity.
Mayonnaise	Greek yogurt or avocado	Yogurt is tangier. Mashed avocado for richness.
Fresh garlic	Garlic powder (¼ tsp per clove)	Fresh is always better but powder works in a pinch.

What You're Practicing

The wedge salad teaches you that great cooking isn't always about complexity — it's about executing simple things perfectly. Keeping the lettuce ice-cold, rendering bacon properly, and building a balanced dressing from scratch are all fundamental skills. The homemade blue cheese dressing alone is a lesson in emulsification and flavor balancing.

Making dressings from scratch is one of the fastest ways to elevate your cooking. Once you understand the ratio of fat (mayo, sour cream) to acid (vinegar, buttermilk) to flavor (cheese, garlic), you can improvise endlessly. This is the same principle behind every great vinaigrette and creamy dressing.