I promised to share all of my Great Grapes recipes this week and thought I'd start with the one that sounds just a little bit sketchy, but is both amazing and so easy to make: bacon-infused vodka. Ingredients
- 750 mL of good vodka (I used Ketel One)
- 2 pounds of good bacon (I used Niman Ranch applewood smoked, available at Trader Joes)
- A strong stomach when it comes to fatty substances
Cook the bacon, reserving all of the grease if you must pour it off. Set it aside.
Pour the vodka into a large glass container with a) a wide top and b) an airtight seal. I found my jar at IKEA. Very, very carefully, pour about all of the bacon grease into the jar (if it doesn't all make it in, no big deal). Give it a quick and careful shake or stir to combine and set the jar in a cool, dark spot. Leave it alone for 48 hours.
After two days, remove the jar and place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. When you pull it, the fat will have solidified and risen to the top. This is where the strong stomach comes in. Skim the fat off the top of the vodka and discard - this is going to feel something like scooping ice cream. It's a little gross.
Once you've removed the majority of the fat, pour the vodka through a fine strainer, just to get rid of any more clumps, then put it in a good bottle for pouring. Et voila - you've got bacon-infused vodka, perfect for Bloody Mary's!
Speaking of Bloodies, I made mine in highball glasses filled with ice, using 1 shot of vodka, enough Mr. & Mrs. T's hot and spicy Bloody Mary mix to nearly fill the glass, about a teaspoon of horseradish, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a dash of smoky chipotle Tabasco. Mix and serve with a stalk of celery and you've got yourself a nice little breakfast drink.
[Photo credit: Lyndsay Polloway aka LP]
2 comments:
Are there little greasy rainbows floating on top of a shot of the vodka? And do you store it in the freezer or fridge?
It doesn't look greasy - more dirty, actually, with little flecks in it. I keep it in our wine cellar, which is cool and dark - if we didn't have a reliable cool/dark place like that, I'd keep it in the fridge.
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