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German Potato Salad with Bacon and Warm Vinegar Dressing

Forget everything you know about potato salad. There's no mayonnaise here, just warm potato slices soaking up a tangy dressing built from bacon fat, red wine vinegar, and beef broth. The trick is slicing the potatoes while they're still warm, because that's the only time they'll actually drink the dressing in. Get that timing right and the flavor goes all the way to the center.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Salad
Cuisine: German
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Potatoes
  • 5 pounds waxy potatoes yellow or red pick similar sizes so they finish boiling together
For the Warm Dressing
  • 1 pound thick-cut bacon the rendered grease stays in the pan and becomes part of the dressing
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 small white onion sliced
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
To Finish
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley and/or fresh dill half goes into the pan half goes on top

Method
 

  1. Boil and slice the potatoes. Boil the potatoes, testing them by piercing with a fork, and drain them once they reach the consistency you want, which takes about 20 minutes. Let them cool only until you can handle them without burning yourself, and don’t let them go cold. Peel them and cut into slices ¼ to ½ inch thick, then put them in a large bowl.
  2. Render the bacon. Cook the bacon in a large pan over medium heat until crispy. Move it to a paper towel lined plate and crumble it, but leave all the grease behind in the pan.
  3. Soften the onion. Add the vegetable oil and the sliced onion to that same pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. The slices should turn limp and translucent rather than browning.
  4. Build the dressing. Mix in the red wine vinegar, beef broth, and sugar, and bring it to a light boil. Scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pan as the liquid heats.
  5. Fold in the potatoes. Gently toss in the sliced potatoes, half of the bacon, and half of the herbs. Cook until warmed through, stirring occasionally and lifting from underneath rather than dragging a spoon through, so the slices stay whole. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
  6. Top and rest. Scatter the remaining bacon and herbs over the top. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes so the flavors can absorb, then serve warm.

Notes

Peeling is easier while the potatoes are warm than after they’ve cooled, and the skins on boiled waxy potatoes often slip off with light pressure from your thumb or the back of a knife.
Choose potatoes of a similar size for the pot. Five pounds of mixed small and large potatoes will finish at different times, and the smaller ones will be overcooked by the time the larger ones are ready.
You’ll need a large pan for the final stage, since 5 pounds of sliced potatoes takes up real space. If your pan is crowded, folding gently becomes difficult and the slices are more likely to break.
The recipe is written to be served warm after its rest. It’s not designed as a chilled make-ahead salad, since the texture and the way the dressing sits both change once the potatoes cool.