53 bacon dripping recipes

Texas-style basting sauce with butter, bacon drippings, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Makes 3.5 cups, enough to mop a whole 5-pound brisket through a long, slow smoke.

Traditional frijoles: slow-simmered pinto beans with onion, garlic, cumin, chile, and bacon drippings. An authentic Tex-Mex and Mexican staple cooked low and long until creamy and fragrant.

Hearty sauerkraut and bean soup with browned pork shoulder, paprika, and beef stock. Partially pureed for a thick, creamy base with a tangy sauerkraut finish.

Venison swiss steak braises dredged venison round in bacon grease then slow-cooks it in stewed tomatoes, beer, and beef stock until fork-tender. The classic Midwestern hunter's preparation.

Irish kidney soup, a slow-simmered offal classic with veal or beef kidney, beef stock, sherry, and bouquet garni. The pub-style soup of old Ireland.

Quelites, a traditional New Mexican spinach and pinto bean side dish with bacon drippings, chili pepper, and hard-boiled egg. A 25-minute Southwestern classic.

Red flannel hash with corned beef, diced potatoes, and beets cooked in bacon drippings. The beets give this New England classic its signature rosy-red color and a subtle earthy sweetness.

French-Canadian veal pot roast braised in a cast iron pot with whole potatoes and onions, no added liquid. The veal creates its own rich gravy as it slowly cooks.

Chili-bacon rub made with bacon drippings, chili powder, cayenne, garlic, and tomato paste. A smoky, spicy paste for chicken and barbecue. Five ingredients, five minutes.

Potatoes O'Brien fried in bacon drippings with green bell pepper, scallions, and fresh basil. A classic diner-style breakfast side dish with golden, crispy edges in 35 minutes.

Hearty Hungarian-style cranberry bean soup with kolbasz sausage, thickened with a bacon dripping roux and sour cream. Old-world comfort food that sticks to your ribs.

Southern-style dried lima beans slow-simmered with smoked ham hock skin, bacon drippings, and a pinch of sugar until creamy and tender. Simple, smoky, old-fashioned comfort food.

Louisiana-style roasted duck rubbed with a vinegar-salt-pepper paste, stuffed with aromatics, and slow-roasted until tender. A Cajun family recipe with old-school technique and deep flavor.

Bob's barbecue sauce builds smoky-sweet flavor from bacon drippings, ketchup, molasses, Worcestershire, vinegar, and chili powder. Simmered 30 minutes for a thick, glossy sauce that keeps for weeks.

Rustic skillet hash with leftover roast beef or venison, chunky potatoes, and onions browned in bacon drippings, then simmered in beefy gravy with a touch of chili powder.

Homemade red enchilada sauce from whole dried chile pods, garlic, oregano, and cumin, thickened with a bacon drippings roux. Rich, smoky, and leagues ahead of anything from a can.