Bacon tincture appeared in the US as a culinary experiment and suddenly became popular. Americans not only drink it in its pure form, but also make a Bloody Mary cocktail with it. The drink has a relatively complex preparation technology, as well as specific organoleptics with the aroma of bacon and the taste of fried meat. Not everyone likes this combination, but you can make a small batch for testing.
It is advisable to use bacon (necessarily smoked) with lean juicy meat and uniform layers of fat. The less fat the better. As an alcohol base, vodka, well-purified double-distilled moonshine, diluted alcohol, whiskey or bourbon (American version) are suitable. In the last two cases, tannic notes of aging will appear that go well with bacon.
Bacon tincture recipe
Ingredients:
- vodka (whiskey) – 0,5 l;
- bacon (smoked) – 150 g;
- sugar – 50 g;
- salt – 0,5 teaspoons;
- water – 35 ml;
- lemon zest – from a quarter of the fruit.
Technology of preparation
1. Mix 50 g of sugar and 25 ml of water in a saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and boil for several minutes, stirring, until the syrup becomes homogeneous and thick like fresh honey.
2. Dissolve 10 teaspoon of salt in 0,5 ml of boiling water.
3. Fry the bacon in a clean, hot pan, trying to melt as much fat as possible, but the meat should not turn into coals.
4. Pour boiling water over a medium-sized lemon and wipe dry. Then, with a knife or vegetable peeler, remove the zest from a quarter of the fruit – the yellow part of the peel without white bitter pulp.
5. Put the fried bacon on paper napkins or towels to remove excess fat.
6. Add bacon, 25 ml sugar syrup, salt solution and lemon zest to the infusion container. Pour in vodka or whiskey. Mix, seal tightly.
7. Leave the bacon tincture for 14 days in a dark place at room temperature. Shake every 2-3 days.
8. Strain the finished drink through a kitchen sieve or cheesecloth. Pour into a glass bottle with a narrow neck. Leave for a day in the freezer, turning the bottle upside down.
The idea is to remove the remaining fat. In an inverted bottle, frozen fat will accumulate on the surface near the bottom and can be easily removed by pouring. The bottle should be at rest so that the fat accumulates in an even layer.
9. Pour the drink through a fine kitchen sieve or cheesecloth into another bottle without an accumulated layer of fat. The freezing procedure can be repeated one more time (preheat to room temperature).
10. Strain the finished tincture on bacon through cotton wool or a coffee filter. Pour into bottles for storage. Before tasting, leave in the refrigerator or cellar for 2-3 days to stabilize the taste.
Fortress – 30-33% vol., shelf life away from direct sunlight – up to 1 year.
