The Pig Tail

Ok, once I calmed down a bit from the thrill of being in Paula Deen’s lastest magazine, I had to try some of the recipes in it. Not one to shy away from a new cocktail, I decided to start with The Pig Tail.

Since I've noticed there seems to be a bacon craze going on these days, I guess I wasn't completely shocked to find that there is a recipe for a bacon-infused Whiskey martini. It was created in Paula's honor by a friend of hers, Rich Eldredge  from Atlanta Magazine.

Don't be put off by the long directions. It's not as complicated as it looks in print!

My only comment is that I did not get enough bacon drippings by cooking the bacon in the oven. So I had to cook a second batch (after dredging it in brown sugar) in a skillet.

Here it goes:
The Pig Tail (a Martini found in the Sept/Oct issue of Cooking with Paula Deen)
Makes 6 servings
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
12 slices thick-sliced bacon
2 cups Tennessee whisky
1 orange
5 dashes angostura bitters


Preheat oven to 400'.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil (This is important because the bacon gets very sticky.)
Dredge bacon in brown sugar, shake off excess and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp, golden, and caramelized. Place bacon strips on wire racks to cool. Reserve bacon drippings.
Add 1/4 cup bacon drippings with the whiskey in a pitcher. Cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Then chill this same mixture for about 1 hour or until bacon drippings congeal.
Cut 6 slender strips of orange peel for each cocktail. Note: the instructions say to curl the strips around a utensil to resemble a pig's tail. I could not succeed at this!
Rub the inside of 6 martini glasses with the orange. Add 1 orange curl to each glass. Garnish rims with a piece of bacon.
In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 cups whisky mixture and bitters: fill shaker with ice and top with lid. Shake well; strain into each martini glass. Serve with remaining bacon.