Henry Bain sauce
Encyclopedia
Henry Bain was one of the first employees and eventually a legendary head waiter at the Pendennis Club
in Louisville, Kentucky
, which was founded in 1881. He created his famous sauce for both steaks and local game animals. Club members liked it so much that they would bring their kills to the club after a day of hunting in the nearby woods along with potential members as a recruiting tool. To this day, it is served at the Club and enjoyed by its members and guests.
It is believed to have inspired the concept of dealing with "gamey" tastes by using strong vinegar
, tomato
and unique fruit
overtones. The fruit in the current version is from a peach chutney
recipe allegedly made by one of the second generation member's wives. Pickled walnuts are also rumored to be an ingredient.
Until 2009 the general public only had access to imitations, but in that year the original sauce was made commercially available for the first time by the Pendennis Club, and can be found at local gourmet stores in the Louisville area.
Pendennis Club
The Pendennis Club is a private club in Louisville, Kentucky. It was established in 1881 and modeled in part on English gentleman's clubs. It took its name from William Makepeace Thackeray's novel Pendennis . The first clubhouse, acquired in 1883, was a former Belknap family mansion. Soon after...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, which was founded in 1881. He created his famous sauce for both steaks and local game animals. Club members liked it so much that they would bring their kills to the club after a day of hunting in the nearby woods along with potential members as a recruiting tool. To this day, it is served at the Club and enjoyed by its members and guests.
It is believed to have inspired the concept of dealing with "gamey" tastes by using strong vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
, tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
and unique fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
overtones. The fruit in the current version is from a peach chutney
Chutney
Chutney is a a condiment used in South Asian cuisine that usually contains a spice and vegetable mix.Chutneys are wet or dry, having a coarse to fine texture. The Anglo-Indian loan word refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately, with preserves often sweetened. At least several...
recipe allegedly made by one of the second generation member's wives. Pickled walnuts are also rumored to be an ingredient.
Until 2009 the general public only had access to imitations, but in that year the original sauce was made commercially available for the first time by the Pendennis Club, and can be found at local gourmet stores in the Louisville area.