Save That Bacon Grease For Grilled Corn That's Out-Of-This-World Delicious

For every pan of bacon produced, there is a reserve of grease left over that poses quite the conundrum for home cooks. You could throw out your grease, but that's a huge mistake, because you could instead save it for future culinary endeavors. And we are almost always in favor of repurposing bacon grease, especially as it is so flavorful. So let's give you some more specific ideas, starting with corn. Grilled corn is one of the best side dishes that summer has to offer. It's sweet, slightly charred, and bursting with flavor. Plus, the default slather of butter gives this dish a richness that really can't be beat, except maybe with the addition of bacon grease.

Yes, we're talking about adding a porky element to your grilled corn. And while you could simply slather your grilled corn with pan drippings, there is perhaps a more elegant way of going about repurposing this fat. Simply make a compound butter using a small portion of your drippings by mixing room temperature bacon grease with room temp butter in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer). Then, roll into a log and wrap in wax paper. You can store this in the fridge before using, but make sure you bring your bacon butter back to room temperature before slathering it on your corn cob, as it will spread more easily. Use your bacon butter to give your corn as much coverage as you please. The combination of smoky, salty bacon, rich butter, and sweet corn is the perfect treat to top off your summer plate.

Of course, adding a touch of bacon grease to butter is delicious, but it can also serve as a jumping off point for even more flavor infusions for your corn. For starters, you can add some bits of actual bacon to the butter to give it flakes of rich, salty flavor and an added crunch that will truly set off your corn. Additionally, you can mix in other ingredients to your compound butter for more complexity. Adding chopped chives, for example, can give your corn a fresh, onion-y flavor that will turn this side dish into the main event. Some dill will give your butter a fresh, herbal taste, and combining it with the meat drippings will bring a bacon-ranch twist.

You can also enhance your bacon butter with seasonings such as cracked black pepper, cayenne pepper, taco seasoning, or chipotle pepper for an extra smoky twist. Or, you can add some diced garlic for a punch. Black garlic will add some tang and depth to your compound butter that can work well with corn, especially when paired with, say, a Ree Drummond-approved blue cheese burger. And speaking of blue cheese, you can absolutely add in some blue cheese to your butter to give it a distinctive tang that works really well with fresh grilled corn. Or, for a more classic take, you can blend bacon, butter, and jalapeños for a jalapeño popper-inspired corn on the cob. The possibilities are truly endless (and delicious).