[Colbyt]

We have a chain restaurant named Raferty's, maybe you have heard of them, They have this delicious Hot Bacon Dressing for their chef salads. I especially like to combine the hot bacon with the honey mustard.

I spent a lot of time looking online for something close and even more time trying to duplicate it when I failed to find anything that was even close. I ate a lot of failed attempts before I got as close as I suspect I will ever get.

And for the food police just take note that there is a lot less fat in this dressing than anything you will find on the store shelves. As a matter of fact there is most likely more fat in the small amount of store bought honey mustard than in the generous dousing of hot bacon.

It does not keep and does not reheat well so only make what you can use at one meal.

It can be made with the sugar or sugar free for a healthier choice.

Rafferty's Hot Bacon Dressing Clone recipe by Colbyt
Small Batch for 1-2

1/4 cup diced bacon (bagged bits or 3 cooked slices) *
If using the real bagged bits, soaking in 1/4 cup of water softenens them.

1 rounded TBS bacon juice
1/4 cup white sugar or ( 6 packets Sucrose)
1 TBS cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water (a bit more if too thick after heating)
1 TBS white vinegar


Instructions:

In a saucepan, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and vinegar. While stirring constantly, bring all the items to a boil until it thickens.

Mix in cooked and crumbled bacon, heat for just a bit more. Drizzle over salad greens and enjoy!

*Either is better when finely chopped. A spice grinder does a wonderful job

 

[Wooleybooger]

Pork fat rules. Emeril Lagasse.

 

[LeonardoDaBenz]

Pork fat rules. Emeril Lagasse.

but beef fat (ie tallow) is even better. Do my oven-frying of french fries coated with tallow. Oh my gawd, sooooo tasty .

I believe that's what made Mickey D's so good back in the day (when it was supposedly unhealthy) and they switched to .....whatever.

 

[Wooleybooger]

That could be a matter of opinion. I've used beef fat shortening but went back to lard.

 

[LeonardoDaBenz]

I've rendered my own (from my briskets) so maybe that's why?

 

[Wooleybooger]

That's very possible if you had seasonings on the meat which of course seasoned the fat. I find the liquid fat from briskets quite good. Too bad they are very expensive here now due to IMO multiple reasons but I think the BBQ establishments are the main culprits. Correction lazy people first then the BBQ places. You don't need a smoker to cook a good brisket, I've done it with oven.

 

[LeonardoDaBenz]

Nope. Hard fat (not that squishy stuff) cut off prior to smoking. Then rendered on outdoor grill (too smelly to do it in doors on stove).

I can easily get ~3lb of hard fat off a 14 lb brisket. Gives me about 3/4 of a qt of pure beef tallow.

 

[Colbyt]

I also render the tallow. Can be a stinky job best done in the garage or on the deck using a crockpot. I figure a cup of tallow to a pound of fat,

That said bacon fat is what you use in this recipe and I can imagine tallow being tasty in the dressing.

 

[PickyPrincess]

Gosh, this took me back to my fine dining captain days and the hot dressing they used to make at the country club. That was DECADES, if not eons, ago. Thanks for the blast from the past!

 

[LeonardoDaBenz]

This sounds perfect for "Chicken Caesar Salad" but subbing this sauce for caesar dressing.

Bacon goes with everything 😁

 

[Wooleybooger]

Pork fat rules. Emeril Lagasse.

This sounds perfect for "Chicken Caesar Salad" but subbing this sauce for caesar dressing.

Bacon goes with everything 😁

Once again Pork Fat Rules.

 

[Colbyt]

Once again Pork Fat Rules.

I'm starting to think you like pork fat.

 

[LeonardoDaBenz]

I'm starting to think you like pork fat.

Well, it's certainly wayyyyy cheaper than beef

 

[Wooleybooger]

I'm starting to think you like pork fat.

Well, it's certainly wayyyyy cheaper than beef

What he said. ^^^^

 

[Colbyt]

What has the world come to? Don't people realize it is free when you cook bacon.

$7.49 for 14 ounces.

 

[Wooleybooger]

Free, yes. That why I sometimes have as many as three 24 oz jars full within 1/4" of the stuff. Packages of bacon ends and pieces are cheap compared to the "nice" bacon and you find thick pieces of meat in them.

 

[Roll_Bones]

This dressing recipe with bacon drippings reminded me of a bacon with drippings and a raw egg dressing my first wife used to make. She called it "Pennsylvania Dutch" salad. I remember it was really good and I was not optimistic since it had a raw egg in it. Anyone know about this salad? I would like to make it.
It was made with bibb/butter lettuce. It was quite wilted as the bacon grease was added hot to the dressing.

 

[Colbyt]

This dressing recipe with bacon drippings reminded me of a bacon with drippings and a raw egg dressing my first wife used to make. She called it "Pennsylvania Dutch" salad. I remember it was really good and I was not optimistic since it had a raw egg in it. Anyone know about this salad? I would like to make it.
It was made with bibb/butter lettuce. It was quite wilted as the bacon grease was added hot to the dressing.

When I was a boy my grandmother mixed a bit of vinegar in the bacon grease and wilted the bibb lettuce with the hot grease. It was not something I liked. If there was an egg used, it was hard boiled and I really don't recall it.

Never heard of a "Pennsylvania Dutch" salad.

 

[LeonardoDaBenz]

Lots of "Pen..dutch potato salad" though.

Also, found this

Pennsylvania Dutch Hot Bacon Dressing

Pennsylvania Dutch Hot Bacon Dressing We’re going Dutch today with the flavors of sweet and sour in a Pennsylvania Dutch Hot Bacon Dressing. Pennsylvanians love the flavor of sweet and sour that have been given to us by the Mennonite and Amish communities known as Pennsylvania Dutch...

bunnyswarmoven.net

 

[Colbyt]

I though you mentioned raw eggs. Those are cooked. They are thickening with eggs and not corn starch and using more vinegar. Otherwise very similar recipes.

I may have to take that one for a test drive. Thanks for the link.