How to make hot bacon salad dressing

Bacon drippings are full of flavor.

Hot bacon salad dressing is a delicious addition to spinach or other sturdy greens. The dressing replaces the usual oil in salad dressing with bacon fat, which must be hot in order to stay liquid. The heat from the dressing lightly wilts the greens, creating a warm but still mostly raw salad. Top the salad with crumbled bacon, chopped hard-boiled eggs, sliced mushrooms and thinly sliced shallots or sweet onions for a hearty and filling meal.

Things You'll Need

• 3 tbsp. bacon drippings
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• Salt & pepper
• Pan
• Whisk

Instructions

1. Heat the bacon drippings in a pan until they are liquid. If you don't have bacon drippings on hand, cook about 1/2 lb. of bacon until the fat renders out and the bacon is crispy. Pour off all but 3 tbsp. of the bacon fat in the pan.

2. Add the sugar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to the pan.

3. Whisk the dressing over low heat until the fat is warm and evenly dispersed throughout the dressing. Toss immediately with a salad.

Tips & Warnings

• To make a complete spinach salad with hot bacon dressing, toss the dressing with 1/2 lb. washed and torn spinach, five sliced white mushrooms, and a peeled and thinly sliced shallot or small red onion. Top with two chopped hard-boiled eggs and eight to 10 slices of crumbled bacon.

References

• Saveur; Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing; Marion Cunningham
• Food Network; Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing; Alton Brown; 2007