BACON FAT DRESSING
OMGosh…did she just say BACON FAT?! Why yes, yes she did. And it’s every bit as delicious as you would expect. I can hear it now “but, but my cholesterol…”. Well, we’ll save that conversation for another day (hint: bacon fat isn’t evil). Until then, make yourself some of this heavenly dressing and enjoy every drop.
Servings: 1 1/4 cup
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: N/A
Skill level: Easy
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
1/2 cup BACON FAT
3 Tablespoons SUGAR
3 Tablespoons DIJON MUSTARD
1 1/2 - 2 cloves GARLIC, minced
1/2 cup yellow or white ONION, minced
2 teaspoons CELERY SEED, optional
DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan.
Over medium-low heat, warm through stirring frequently until sugar is dissolved and dressing is heated through.
Use immediately or refrigerate for up to three days. Warm before serving.
USE CASE
Baste for chicken or pork chops when grilling.
Dipping sauce for bread, such as homemade sourdough.
Apply as a condiment on buns when making sub sandwiches.
Salads are a great way to enjoy this dressing! Simply prepare according to taste and number of guests using the suggestions below, applying the dressing as desired:
Raw spinach, chopped hard boiled eggs, sliced onion or scallions, and crumbled, cooked bacon.
Raw spinach, chopped properly prepared nuts such as pecans or walnuts, sliced red onion, chopped apples, dried cranberries, crumbled cheese such as feta or goat (see below for notes on cheese).
Shredded fresh Brussels Sprouts lightly toasted with salt and olive oil or raw or a combination, pomegranate seeds or dried blueberries, chopped or thinly sliced pear, sliced red onion, properly prepared nuts such as almond slivers, lemon zest, and crumbled cheese such as gorgonzola (see below for notes on cheese).
Diced fresh tomatoes and chopped onion; fresh greens, optional.
Coleslaw:
Pour over shredded cabbage. Mix in chopped apples and shredded carrots, if desired. In a hurry? Use quality, pre-shredded coleslaw mix and skip the apples.
Refrigerate leftovers and carefully re-warm before serving. Cabbage should remain crispy.
Wilted salad or greens:
Place salad and/or greens in a pan and drizzle with dressing. Gently cook until greens are wilted. Top with cooked, crumbled bacon. Garnish with fresh, diced tomatoes, and onion slices before serving, if desired.
NOTES/VARIATIONS
Substitute red wine, balsamic, or other preferred vinegar to change up the flavor.
Switch up the mustard to another style, reduce it or leave it out altogether if it doesn’t work for you.
Coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup could work if that’s more your style.
Try a Vidalia onion or live it up and go with a red onion just to keep it interesting.
Can’t “do” cheese? While the salads are perfectly tasty without it, Violife brand of vegan cheeze is a surprisingly good substitute. Some folks who can’t tolerate regular dairy do very well with goat’s milk or raw dairy cheeses. Most grocery stores carry at least a few options. If none of those work for you, and you still want that cheesy flavor, nutritional yeast is just that with the added bonus of naturally occurring B vitamins.
Feeling cheeky? Add a dash of hot sauce or cayenne pepper.
As articulated in the What’s for Dinner article, always aim for the highest quality ingredients.
CREDITS/REFERENCES
Thumbnail photo credit: Original, untouched photo can be found here: Saving the bacon grease! Shorpy historical photos, Vintage housewife www.pinterest.com
Variations of this dressing have been around for centuries. It is popular in Eastern European countries and in Southern cooking. Like my Robust & Zesty Italian Salad Dressing and Greek Dressing & Marinade, I created this version with no fillers, gums, chemicals, or artificial flavorings - only the very best ingredients making every dish amazing!