# Bacon grease **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062 "2015-11-30T22:33:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/41 "2015-12-01T19:18:48Z")
Use it as a [hair pomade](http://www.pomades.com/pomps-not-dead-bacon-grease-pomade). Or use it for a [facial](http://www.mommypotamus.com/tallow-for-skin-care/). Umm, no, the other type. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/42 "2015-12-01T19:58:24Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Anyone ever use turkey grease? I had an uncommonly fat turkey this year, and ended up with a full cup of turkey grease, which solidified in my fat separator on the countertop overnight. I’ve never used it, but I’m loathe to throw it away, because…mmmmm…grease… Use it the same as any other animal fat. Nothing beats frying onions in animal fat. Or, use it for matzah balls. I was obsessed with matzah ball soup about this time last year, and all my leftover chicken fat went to that, when it wasn’t used for frying onions. Turkey fat should work just as good. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/43 "2015-12-01T20:13:17Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Ya gotta have bacon grease for preparing liver and onions. What patients do surgeons transplant onions into? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/44 "2015-12-01T20:41:31Z")
Yup. Its great for anything you would use any kind of oil for. Made a rockin’ turkey gravy with it the other night. Just the bacon fat, flour and turkey stock. I never make chili or soup without it. In the fridge, it will last a long time. Not sure at room temperature. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/45 "2015-12-01T20:43:25Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Yup. Its great for anything you would use any kind of oil for. Made a rockin’ turkey gravy with it the other night. Just the bacon fat, flour and turkey stock. > > I never make chili or soup without it. In the fridge, it will last a long time. Not sure at room temperature. Yeah, I have fats of various sorts of ages up to 6 months in my fridge, and they haven’t turned rancid, so far as I can tell. Solidified fats last awhile, especially when covered and kept in the fridge. Don’t know about room temp, but I suspect, as long as it’s been strained, it’ll last for a few months. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/46 "2015-12-01T21:49:20Z")
I have a big hunk of frozen pork fat in my freezer. When I want to use some, I shave off a few pieces and melt it in a pan. It gives great flavor to just about any savory dish. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/47 "2015-12-01T22:04:33Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Use it the same as any other animal fat. Nothing beats frying onions in animal fat. Or, use it for **matzah balls**. I was obsessed with matzah ball soup about this time last year, and all my leftover chicken fat went to that, when it wasn’t used for frying onions. Turkey fat should work just as good. Explictly non-kosher matzah balls, I guess. Assuming we’re talking about pork bacon, not turkey bacon. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/48 "2015-12-01T22:36:56Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Explictly non-kosher matzah balls, I guess. Assuming we’re talking about pork bacon, not turkey bacon. 😕 I was talking about the turkey fat mentioned in **WhyNot** ’s post. My Gentile uses for bacon fat were mentioned previously in this thread. But, honestly, I’m a Gentile, and am not making any recommendations about following kashrut dietary laws. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/49 "2015-12-01T22:45:02Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > When I fix green beans, I put a dollop of bacon grease in them to cook, adds a really nice flavor. I also like scrambling eggs in bacon grease. And the best grilled cheese in the world was made in a pan that had a Tbsp of bacon grease melted in it. MMMMM! I also scramble eggs in bacon grease. The only way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/50 "2015-12-01T22:58:15Z")
Surprised no one mentioned it yet… my main use of bacon grease is for baked potatoes. Stab holes in the potato; rub down with bacon grease; roll in course salt, bake directly on the rack (with a pan/cookie sheet underneath to catch falling bits of salt). 350 degrees for one hour. So. Freaking. Good. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/51 "2015-12-01T23:52:25Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Whenever I make bacon, I always end up using the grease in the same thing I’m using the bacon for. That’s the thing. When I need bacon grease, I’m cooking bacon anyway. > [@teela\_brown](#): > > Use it as the frying fat when you start out to make chili. One of the best chili recipes I used came from America’s Test Kitchen, and it started out with rendering some bacon for the frying fat. The smokiness adds a great dimension. > > Ditto for clam chowder. Good idea on the chili. I’d probably use the grease from the bacon I’m cooking for chowder. > [@PapSett](#): > > When I fix green beans, I put a dollop of bacon grease in them to cook, adds a really nice flavor. I also like scrambling eggs in bacon grease. I might try that with the green beans. I usually use margarine. As for eggs, we like our eggs floating in butter or margarine. Very rarely do I cook eggs in grease. > [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Ya gotta have bacon grease for preparing liver and onions. Excellent! Only, since Mrs. L.A. became a nurse, she refuses to eat liver. Even if I call them ‘filtration units’. > [@kanicbird](#): > > For almost anything you don’t have enough duck fat for. I’ve had duck fat in a glass jar in the fridge for four or five years. I’m not convinced Mrs. L.A. likes duck fat fried potatoes. > [@resentfulviper](#): > > Use some to make a wilted lettuce salad. Heat a bit of grease in a skillet add vinegar and sugar to taste. Pour while warm Over leaf lettuce and thinly sliced onions. Yum! Aha! Spinach salad! Once again, I use the grease from the bacon I cook at the time. > [@Athena](#): > > Fried chicken. Bacon-grease fried chicken is an old family recipe from the lumber camps, and it’s delicious. Especially good for feeding lumberjacks if you have any around. I have not perfected fried chicken yet. Maybe I’ll try again, with bacon grease, after the new year. > [@TSBG](#): > > Mix 2 tbsps bacon grease with enough brussels sprouts or cauliflower to loosely fill a 9x13 dish and roast for 30 minutes at 375. Cut up the biggest pieces of cauliflower first. I prefer shaved sprouts for this–or really any recipe I make with sprouts. Alas, I made ‘too many’ Brussels sprouts this year. > [@scabpicker](#): > > Refried beans…mmm, best bean tacos, ever. I did use some of the grease in refried beans a couple/few weeks ago. > [@Johnny\_Angel](#): > > I do like bacon gravy better with biscuits than sausage gravy. Bacon gravy is also lovely over rice. Mrs. L.A. prefers bacon gravy to sausage gravy too. > [@eulalia](#): > > It goes on your greens or your black-eyed peas if you don’t have a ham hock handy. You grease the pan for your cornbread with it. Fry your pork chops, your chicken, or your fish in it. I sometimes wish I didn’t have to watch the saturated fats these days. When greens and black-eyed peas are on the menu, I always have some ham hocks! 😉 > [@DrDeth](#): > > So, the raccoon get a treat- is that so bad? > > I use it to season and grease my cast iron. Before frying eggs, it adds a nice flavor, as **AHunter3** said. Mrs. L.A. doesn’t want the raccoons hanging out around here. She’s afraid they’ll molest the indoor/outdoor cat, and she thinks they’re freakishly big compared to the ones she’s used to. > [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Yup. Its great for anything you would use any kind of oil for. Made a rockin’ turkey gravy with it the other night. Just the bacon fat, flour and turkey stock. I make my turkey gravy with turkey drippings, flour, giblets, and salt. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/52 "2015-12-02T02:52:14Z")
How much fat is in all of your bacon to get so much left over grease?:eek: ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/53 "2015-12-02T05:30:55Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Mrs. L.A. doesn’t want the raccoons hanging out around here. She’s afraid they’ll molest the indoor/outdoor cat, and she thinks they’re freakishly big compared to the ones she’s used to… _Usually_ they get along, unless the coons are hungry and they fight over food. So, it’s not an unreasonable position your Mrs. is taking. (we keep our cats indoors, allowing us to watch the raccoons eat) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/54 "2015-12-02T05:54:32Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > How much fat is in all of your bacon to get so much left over grease?:eek: American bacon is typically pork belly, so quite a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/55 "2015-12-02T06:29:23Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, I have fats of various sorts of ages up to 6 months in my fridge, and they haven’t turned rancid, so far as I can tell. Solidified fats last awhile, especially when covered and kept in the fridge. Don’t know about room temp, but I suspect, as long as it’s been strained, it’ll last for a few months. Mu grandparents used to have a coffee can of bacon grease they kept in the pantry and used all the time. The no longer save it, and don’t have the can anymore. I may start saving it again. When I asked my grandma about it, she said she only replaced the can twice a year or so. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/56 "2015-12-02T22:21:36Z")
I also use it for frying fish with a cornmeal coating. Tilapia and catfish are both really nice done this way. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062/57 "2015-12-03T08:10:00Z")
Just today I slapped a little leftover grease from breakfast onto my ham sandwich. Now the sandwich would have been pretty good on it’s own, but the gratuitous fat really perked it up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-grease/739062.md?page=2)