Al Brady

Bacon Hot Sauce

Added 2025-07-26 08:00:06 +0000 UTC

300g smoked streaky bacon
12-16 fresno chillies
2 red peppers
1 red onion
4-6 garlic cloves
6-8 sprigs thyme, tide together
4tablespoons brown sugar
2tablespoon maple syrup
150ml red wine vinegar
150ml water
1 shot espresso
Rendered bacon fat (from earlier)

Method

Start by finely chopping the smoked streaky bacon and adding it to a dry pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally as it cooks, allowing the fat to render and the bacon to turn golden and crispy. Once cooked, drain through a fine sieve, reserving both the crispy bacon and the rendered fat separately.

Roughly chop the fresno chillies, red pepper, red onion, and garlic. Using the same pan, add the chopped vegetables along with the thyme and cook gently over medium heat until softened and fragrant, using a wooden spoon to lift up any of the caramelised bacon fond from the bottom of the pan.

Once soft, return the crispy bacon to the pan and add the brown sugar, maple syrup, red wine vinegar, and water. Stir everything together, bring to a gentle boil, cover with a lid, and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes until the chillies and pepper are completely soft.

Transfer everything to a blender and blitz until smooth. While blending, slowly drizzle in the reserved bacon fat to emulsify and create a rich, silky texture.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. If it feels like it needs a little extra depth, blend in a shot of espresso. Trust me it rounds everything out beautifully.

Bottle in clean, sterilised jars. Or skip that part completely and pour it straight over some fried chicken and enjoy!

Let me know what hot sauce flavours you want to see next dudes! I'm up for a challenge! 🤘