After reading carnivorousplant’s thread on storing bacon fat. I want to know how others use it. In hopes we can revive and foster the use of this essential cooking oil.
I offer the following relatively standard uses:
[ul]
[li]Bacon gravy (really good on mashed potatoes)[/li][li]Eggs fried in bacon fat[/li][li]Fried potatoes[/li][li]Browning beef for chili and beef stew[/li][li]Sourdough biscuits rolled in bacon fat before baking[/li][li]Fried onions for sandwiches and fajitas.[/li][/ul]I offer the following on behalf of my father who fed me these wonderful things in my childhood:
[ul]
[li]Bacon fat popcorn - use the same amount of bacon fat as you would oil[/li][li]Bacon fat potato chips - 25% bacon fat 75% fryer oil[/li][li]Pancakes cooked in bacon fat[/li][/ul]
I cook everything in either butter, salvaged bacon fat or salvaged beef fat. I have a pretty simple daily diet, though, it’s usually just meat, fish, eggs and vegetables that I fry up. No creative recipes.
Since I “save” it in the garbage bin, none of the above. But duck fat is a different story - fried eggs, baked potatoes, well anything really.
I suppose I should add that in Australia we don’t eat the stuff Americans eat as bacon. We have very low fat bacon. The crispy stuff you eat we give to the dogs.
If you make your cornbread southern-style in a cast-iron skillet, you can melt bacon grease into the pan before pouring the batter in. It is delightful.
I don’t fry up bacon at home much anymore. But when I had bacon fat, I did like putting a dollop of it into pasta water or rice instead of butter or veggie oil. You could taste the difference!
Oh, and mashed potatoes too.
Bacon fat - it’s not just for frying other crap in.