# Suet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 1, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905 "2002-11-01T22:34:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [November 1, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/1 "2002-11-01T22:34:35Z")
Several of my recipes call for suet. I’ve never seen suet at the market. Is it readily available? Do you have to ask for it specifically at the butcher counter? Is there something else that can be used instead (like bacon fat or something)? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/2 "2002-11-01T22:36:48Z")
Wow. That’s a toughie. Sometimes Kroger has suet in the fall bird-feeding season (you hang it on trees for woodpeckers). Ask the meat counter person, they might have it in the back. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/3 "2002-11-01T22:42:11Z")
Whoops, hit submit too soon. No, suet and bacon fat behave differently, not to mention the fact that bacon fat tastes and smells like bacon. Suet’s just this inert very rich fatty substance. And it behaves differently from lard, too. No, if you’re making Figgy Pudding (yes?) you pretty much gotta have the Real Thing. Specialty butcher shops will always have it, but ask at Kroger first. ---
**Author:** ![Kiting\_Illini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Kiting\_Illini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiting_Illini)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/4 "2002-11-01T22:50:26Z")
We get ours from a _Real Butcher Shop_[sup]TM[/sup]. But be careful…not many people use suet anymore and many butchers assume that you want it for bird feed. The first time we asked for it, one of the guys went back to get some, and another butcher asked what we wanted it for. When we told him that we were making _Real Mincemeat_[sup]TM[/sup], he quickly yelled back to the first guy and told him to cut us some suet rather than sweep it up off the floor!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/5 "2002-11-01T22:51:26Z")
Don’t use bacon fat, it tastes of, well, bacon. If you live in striking distance of a British speciality store, then they’ll have some mmmmm…plum duff …drool Try [here](http://www.britishsupermarket.com/shop9.htm) for an online solution (even if it is the vegetarian variety). Actually, since real suet is made from the insides of mad British cows, then your only choices are the veggie solution or grating it yourself from a cow’s stomcah lining. You might get away with shortening, but is that a risk you want to take? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/6 "2002-11-01T22:53:36Z")
Would lard work as well? You can usually find that in the freezer case somewhere near the frozen birds (turkeys, etc.) ---
**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:** [November 1, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/7 "2002-11-01T23:04:47Z")
> [@](#): > > No, if you’re making Figgy Pudding (yes?) I was thinking of plum pudding, but I have several recipes that call for it. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/8 "2002-11-01T23:12:20Z")
Oh – What is “mixed peel”? Orange peel? Lemon peel? Potato peel? Emma Peel? ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/9 "2002-11-02T00:09:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tapioca Dextrin \* > Actually, since real suet is made from the insides of mad British cows, then your only choices are the veggie solution or grating it yourself from a cow’s stomcah lining. Well, the stuff we export to you guys is, we keep the good stuff for ourselves. It’s a little-publicised exchange programme: you got infected cow parts and the Spice Girls, we got a bunch of Bruce Willis pictures. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cher3 \* > Would lard work as well? Nope. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > Oh – What is “mixed peel”? Orange peel? Lemon peel? Potato peel? Emma Peel? Yes, yes, no and yes. The citrus peel is candied and comes in boxes. Emma has to have her arse spanked with a _wooden_ spoon before you add her to the mix. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/10 "2002-11-02T01:41:26Z")
[http://www.waitrose.com/food\_drink/Recipes/glossary/foodglossary/Mixedpeel.asp](http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/Recipes/glossary/foodglossary/Mixedpeel.asp) > [@](#): > > Mixed peel > > This is a mixture of orange and lemon peel that has been candied to preserve it - the peel is soaked in sugar syrup until the sugar replaces the moisture in the peel to extend its keeping qualities. > Uses: In fruit cakes, puddings, biscuits and bakes. > To store: Keep in a cool, dry place in the airtight carton it is sold in for up to 1 year. Managed to find candied orange and lemon peel for sale on the Web, “candied orange lemon peel supplies”, the magic Google word seems to be “supplies”. [http://www.tableandvine.com/inventory/bakery.epl](http://www.tableandvine.com/inventory/bakery.epl) [http://www.barryfarm.com/baking\_supplies.htm](http://www.barryfarm.com/baking_supplies.htm) Maybe somebody should move this thread over to Cafe Society, as it seems to be turning into a recipe thread? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/11 "2002-11-02T02:21:01Z")
I don’t know if this is really suet, or some bird-feeding approximation: [http://www.bcpl.net/~tross/by/suet.html](http://www.bcpl.net/~tross/by/suet.html) > [@](#): > > To render suet, it’s best to start with ground beef fat (ask your butcher to grind it if don’t have a meat grinder, or else chop the raw beef fat as fine as you can). Heat the ground or chopped suet over a medium flame until all the fat leaches out. There should be nothing pink in your pan, only solid grey bits in a clear liquid. Strain out the grey bits by pouring the melted suet through a fine cheesecloth. Save the strained liquid fat and let it cool. Suet at this stage is still somewhat soft, but if you melt it and strain it again, you will produce a very hard suet. You may put out your rendered suet as is, use it to make suet cakes, or store it for later use (it will keep several months in a covered container in your freezer). ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/12 "2002-11-02T03:58:57Z")
It’s also worth pointing out that the suet sold for bird-feeding is _not_ approved for human consumption. It might be just fine, but there are no guarantees about the conditions under which it was produced. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/13 "2002-11-02T04:33:01Z")
According to the [Fanny Farmer Cookbook](http://www.bartleby.com/87/0012.html) is the fat found around the beef kidney area. It is supposed to be tasteless unlike many other fats such as bacon or lard and that’s why it’s used in pudding recipes. I’ve never been able to find any hereabouts even at the meat shops, I suppose because they receive their beef already butchered. I’ve had pretty good results substituting vegetable shortening in my christmas pudding recipe though. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/14 "2002-11-02T04:37:04Z")
The missing word is, of course, the whole point. Suet is the fat found around the kidney area. Yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![hammerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hammerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammerbach)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/15 "2002-11-02T05:40:03Z")
Yes, it is in fact kidney fat which is very pure and melts quite easily. Fine stuff… Oh, and most of the time I worked in the meat market, it fell off the carcass beef (so the floor in the cutting room would be the first place to look for it). ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/16 "2002-11-02T15:40:08Z")
Here in the UK we can buy dried suet in a box which will last quite a while . I doubt if many butchers sell suet now. Also for those people who want it there is “vegetarian suet” which is made from vegetable oil and is supposed to have the same texture and qualities as the real thing. I prefer the real stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/17 "2002-11-02T18:50:54Z")
Shoshana, those are instructions for rendering suet for bird feeders–it keeps longer if you can get the little bits of meat out of it, which is what melting it and straining it does. I would assume that any suet purchased at the grocery store (e.g. Kroger) would be required to be suitable for human consumption, because Kroger is in the “People Food” business, not the “animal food” business. If you want to buy suet at Kroger and stick it in a bird feeder, that’s your business, but I’d think that the various regulatory agencies would require _anything_ sold at a Kroger meat counter to be fit for human consumption. By the same token, they sell beef bones at Kroger that you can either take home and make into soup or give to the dog, but they’re still “food-grade” beef bones. Now, OTOH suet that you bought down at the feed store would probably not be human-consumption grade. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suet/134905/18 "2002-11-03T17:03:06Z")
I’ve never had any trouble buying suet at the grocery store here in Canada, particularly close to Christmas - must be the British influence. (Which reminds me - I should get going on the Christmas mincemeat.)