The Bloody Meathead: A Bloody Mary For Barbecue Lovers

By Meathead

The Bloody Mary is the classic eye-opener, 19th holer, hair of the dog, and a chance to drink your veggies.

The original is believed to have been invented in the 1921 by Fernand Petiot, an American tending bar in Paris, although the entertainer George Jessel made a credible claim to the recipe. The origin of the name is clouded, but it was most likely named after England's Queen Mary I, nicknamed Bloody Mary for her violence against Protestants in the 1500s. The drink may also have gotten its name from a folkloric witch. According to legend, she will appear if you call her name three times. I'll tell you this, if you yell Bloody Mary three times at my favorite bartender, she'll toss you out on your keister.

The Bloody Meathead is a Bloody Mary with my secret ingredient: Smoked ice. This is an absolute must, turning amping a great drink all the way up to 11.

Makes. 1 drink
Preparation time. 15 minutes

Ingredients
4 ounces tomato juice
1 1/2 ounces 80 proof vodka
1 ounce Kansas City style barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 teaspoon bottled horseradish in vinegar (not in cream)
1 or 2 squirts of Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
2 pinches of table salt
2 pinches black pepper
1 tablespoon Meathead's Memphis Dust
1 slice of bacon
1 lime wedge for garnishing

About the tomato juice. If you wish, slice 3 large juicy ripe tomatoes in half and put them in your smoker at 225°F, sliced side up, and smoke for an hour. Squeeze the smoked tomatoes into a strainer and push on the pulp with a ladle so most of it goes through. Taste it. If it is too thin, cook it down a bit by boiling it in a non-reactive metal pan. You can do this a few days in advance. You'll need 4 ounces to make one drink.

About the lime. The original Bloody Mary probably had a lemon not a lime, but I prefer lime. You can use lemon if you wish. Or both.

Bloody Mary is the one I love Bloody Mary is the name of a pivotal character in James Michener's book Tales of the South Pacific that was later made into the brilliant musical South Pacific by Rogers and Hammerstein. Bloody Mary was a dark skinned matron and wheeler dealer on an island, and mother of the female love interest of the male lead, Lt. Cable. The sailors, seabees, and Marines profess their respect for the old woman in song. The movie above features "Bloody Mary" and "Nothing Like a Dame" from a Concert in Carnegie Hall in 2005. Bloody Mary is played by Lillias White, Luther Billis is Alec Baldwin & Nellie is Reba McEntire. Bloody Mary is the girl I love. Bloody Mary is the girl I love. Bloody Mary is the girl I love. Now ain't that too damn bad! Her skin is tender as Dimaggio's glove. Her skin is tender as Dimaggio's glove. Her skin is tender as Dimaggio's glove. Now ain't that too damn bad! Bloody Mary's chewin' betel nuts. She is always chewin' betel nuts. Bloody Mary's chewin' betel nuts. And she don't use Pepsodent! Now ain't that too damn bad! Bloody Mary is the girl I love. Bloody Mary is the girl I love. Bloody Mary is the girl I love. Now ain't that too damn bad! Now ain't that too damn bad!

About the vodka. If you wish, substitute tequila, white rum, aquavit, gin, grappa, lime vodka, herbed vodka, vodka infused with sundried tomatoes, or even a pilsner beer.

About the Worcestershire. I prefer Worcestershire, but for fun, you can try beef bouillon or steak sauce.

Optional mix-ins. Try crushed fresh garlic or garlic powder, grated fresh onion or onion powder, capers. Go easy.

The hot sauce. You can make your own, or use any of your faves, like Sriracha.

About the bacon. Feel free to substitute a BBQ Rib, a Slim Jim, beef jerky, or a celery stick.

The other garnishes. Try green onion, a carrot stick, an asparagus spear, a pickled asparagus spear, a cucumber spear, or a dill pickle spear. Try a skewer with pickled pearl onions, a chunk of jalapeno, a cherry tomato, a sundried tomato, a grilled shrimp, prosciutto, olives stuffed with blue cheese or anchovies, or an anchovie filet.

Method
1) Make the smoked ice.

2) Mix or shake together the tomato juice, vodka, barbecue sauce, lime juice, Worcestershire, horseradish, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

3) Pour the Meathead's Memphis Dust into a small plate like a coffee saucer and spread it out evenly. Take the lime wedge and run it around the rim of a tall (highball) glass to moisten it. Invert the glass and place it on the spice mix and twist it until the rim is well coated.

4) Add about 5 cubes of smoked ice, pour the drink over the rocks, garnish with the bacon, and hang the lime wedge on the lip of the glass.

This page was revised 10/27/2012