Hot Bacon Dressing (Pennsylvania Dutch)

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Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Group Lead
Sep 12, 2009
45,279
18,182
Macungie, PA
Hot Bacon Dressing (Pennsylvania Dutch)

If you never had this, you won't believe how good it is!!!

I did a search on this forum, and I couldn't believe I couldn't find this. This dressing has been passed down in my family as far back as I know of. My Grandparents used it on Endive or Dandelion greens, but I never did acquire a taste for those greens, as they are quite bitter. I use it on lettuce & cut up tomatoes, and usually just lettuce. I don't personally add anything else, because I don't like any of the awesome Bacon dressing flavor covered up. Some PA Dutch people also use it on German Potato Salad, but that was never done in my family, that I know of.
In my area, most restaurants offer it on a salad, on their regular menu. They vary a bit, but most are very good, and some are just about identical to the way ours tastes.
You can make it thinner or thicken it to your taste, but below is the way we make it.

There is also a commercial outfit (Wos-Wit) that produces & sells it in various sized jars, and their product tastes very similar. I'll add a picture of that below.

So here we go---Ingredients:
1 large egg, well beaten
1/4 to 1/3 cup granulated sugar (your taste)
1/4 cup vinegar
2 cups water
4 to 6 strips bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (your taste)
3 tablespoon all purpose flour

How To:
Beat the sugar into the egg. Add the vinegar and water, and beat well. Stir in the flour and stir until smooth.
Meanwhile, brown the bacon in a frying pan.
Remove Bacon from pan & save, leaving Bacon Fat in pan.
Pour the mixture into hot frying pan with Bacon fat, and cook over medium-high heat until thickened, stirring constantly.
Add saved Bacon pieces to the pan with the mixture, and continue to stir for another minute or two.
Pour Hot Bacon Dressing over chopped greens and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Notes: The dressing can be prepared ahead and reheated, stirring constantly to keep from sticking to pan. If it gets too thick, add a little water. Depending on how big your salad is, you might have leftover dressing. It can be refrigerated and reheated before pouring on fresh greens. It can also be reheated in the microwave, being careful not to boil it too much.

Enjoy,
Bear

Note: I should mention the batch Mrs Bear & I made below was actually a half batch of the above ingredients.


Frying up some Bacon pieces:
DSCN0319.jpg



Mix all ingredients well:
DSCN0320.jpg



Remove Fried Bacon pieces from pan, and save, leaving Bacon fat in pan:
DSCN0321.jpg



Pour Dressing into pan with Bacon fat, and cook over medium-high heat until thickened, stirring constantly:
DSCN0325.jpg



Dump Fried Bacon pieces into mixture, and stir for another minute or two:
DSCN0326.jpg



Pour the amount of “Hot Bacon Dressing” that you want into your salad & toss just a bit:
DSCN0328.jpg



Commercially made Bacon Dressing, by "Wos-Wit" is very similar:
28-oz-Bacon-Dressing.png
 
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Oh boy.....I felt an artery closing but I gotta make this. Back in the City the family loved German Potato Salad and this sounds so close to the dressing. That would make an old boot taste good. Thanks Bear....another thing on the 'list'......Willie
 
LOL.... strange how memories come out around food. My Pop made a hot bacon/mustard salad dressing. He would pour it HOT over the fresh leaf greens/lettuces from the garden and the lettuce would slightly wilt. Never figured it out, and it was never greasy (most of my attempts have been).

/whispers Oh and Bear, those shots in the hospital have made your hands look kind of girlie, just sayin.............
 
Good job Bearcarver!  My mom used to make  "wilted salad" similara to what Foamheart mentioned but much lighter in color almost transparent.  Seeing yours brought memories flooding back.  Might cool..  I'll have to try yours.

icon14.gif
 
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My wife used to make this until we found out my son is allergic to eggs.

Boy we sure do miss it.
 
 
Oh boy.....I felt an artery closing but I gotta make this. Back in the City the family loved German Potato Salad and this sounds so close to the dressing. That would make an old boot taste good. Thanks Bear....another thing on the 'list'......Willie
Thanks Willie!!!

This probably was real close to what they put on that German Tater Salad!!!

Bear
 
LOL.... strange how memories come out around food. My Pop made a hot bacon/mustard salad dressing. He would pour it HOT over the fresh leaf greens/lettuces from the garden and the lettuce would slightly wilt. Never figured it out, and it was never greasy (most of my attempts have been).

/whispers Oh and Bear, those shots in the hospital have made your hands look kind of girlie, just sayin.............
Thanks Foamy !!

LOL---I couldn't figure out how to stir & take pics at the same time.

Mrs Bear had to do the hard work this time.

She enjoys it more than visiting me in the Hospital from 10 AM to 6 PM, 28 days in a row!!

Tomorrow is my one year Anniversary of getting out of the Hospital !!

Bear
 
Bear, thanks for another great recipe. Going to try to whip this up this weekend. Congrats on your one year release from the hospital. Glad to have you back.
 
My mother used to make some type of bacon dressing for on here dandelion, it was bacon flour vinegar and water not sure what else, it was a medium brown color, and would set up when refrigerated. she would warm it some and mix with the dandelion. I wasn't a fan because I am not a strong vinegar taste fan. I may try your's Bear, and see if it is what I remember.
 
 
Good job Bearcarver!  My mom used to make  "wilted salad" similara to what Foamheart mentioned but much lighter in color almost transparent.  Seeing yours brought memories flooding back.  Might cool..  I'll have to try yours.

icon14.gif
Thanks Frosty!!

I had some in a little restaurant, that was transparent. The taste was very similar.

Bear
 
My wife used to make this until we found out my son is allergic to eggs.

Boy we sure do miss it.
I don't really know what that one egg does, but you could try s batch without it.

Bear
 
That looks oh so good. 
Thanks Neighbor!!

Bear
 
Bear, thanks for another great recipe. Going to try to whip this up this weekend. Congrats on your one year release from the hospital. Glad to have you back.
Thank You Much, Dave!!!

Bear
 
My mother used to make some type of bacon dressing for on here dandelion, it was bacon flour vinegar and water not sure what else, it was a medium brown color, and would set up when refrigerated. she would warm it some and mix with the dandelion. I wasn't a fan because I am not a strong vinegar taste fan. I may try your's Bear, and see if it is what I remember.
Thank You!

Sounds pretty close!

There seems to be a lot of them that aren't much different from each other.

Bear
 
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