Talk to me about bacon fat!

[tankgirl73]

I'd love to hear what you do with your bacon fat.

First of all, how do you 'salvage' it in the first place, any tricks? I find mine is always full of little bacon bits, which it great for some uses but I don't know if I'd want that for every purpose.

How do you store it? Can it be kept at room temperature? Refridgerated? Frozen? What's its shelf life?

And favourite uses?

I get organic bacon from the farm where I get my grass-fed beef. I've tried saving the fat before, I know it's got to be good for something, but I end up unsure of what to do with it other than scrambled eggs, then I wonder if it's too old, and I just end up throwing it out.

[hibana]

I pour it off into a foil-lined cardboard canister and stick it in the fridge. If there are big chunks of bacon I fish them out with a fork, but otherwise I just leave it alone. I suppose you could strain it if you wanted something completely uniform (more like lard) but I really don't see the point.

It gets used to grease pans, as a cooking fat, and occasionally as a replacement for butter in bacon-cheddar-oatmeal cookies.

[fresh_veggie]

My mom used to do this - she would keep it in a glass jar on the counter for about a week or so (don't know if that's safe though). She'd make gravies (that's where the bits are useful) but mostly just fry eggs in it.

It's really good to cook up green beans and potatoes, grease baking tins (for biscuits and cornbread, etc..), and we drizzled it over our boston terrier's kibble for a special treat! (special treat for her, not us lol!)

It can basically be used to fry anything, pop popcorn, flavor anything...

[artemis33]

I pour it through a wire mesh strainer into a small canning jar and keep it in the refrigerator.

It is awesome for cooking any kind of greens - spinach, chard, kale, green beans, etc - and for pan frying potatoes. As PPs mentioned, I also use it to grease my cast iron pans when I make cornbread and cook eggs.

[tankgirl73]

Can you give me your method for pan-frying potatoes in your bacon grease? That sounds totally YUM... I can't stand greens (I know, I know, but the flavour makes me sick... unless they're curried heh) but I could happily live off just potatoes if I had to.

But except for one particular recipe, any attempts at pan-frying potatoes leaves me with tough, undercooked potatoes. I'd love your tips!

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by hibana

It gets used to grease pans, as a cooking fat, and occasionally as a replacement for butter in bacon-cheddar-oatmeal cookies.

Now, seriously... how can you just toss out something as nummy sounding as that and not give us a recipe?!? Please?! :

As for the OP - I just keep a jar on the counter. When I pour the hot fat into the jar, the bits settle to the bottom, since they're heavier. So when I get to the bottom of the jar, I can make gravy or toss it, depending. I only refrigerate it if I fill a jar and then render it (which will remove all the bits also) - my active jar I keep on the counter. But it rarely breaks 85 here except at the height of the summer, so it's never been an issue.

As for what to use it for... sauteeing any veggies (especially green ones) - kale, chard, broccoli, green beans, potatoes, asparagus, zucchini. Making fried rice or other stir frys, roasting potatoes, making a gravy or a roux, like for a cream soup, or even in biscuits for making biscuits and gravy, using it for refried beans, adding it to other bean dishes... Basically anywhere the salty and the fat would not be out of place.

[PaulaJoAnne]

Use bacon grease in place of butter, in Gingersnap cookies:

[karne]

I love kale cooked in bacon drippings and served over polenta with grated cheese. Oh, yum! It is simply not the same w/out the bacon drippings.

[Alyantavid]

You can cook almost anything in bacon grease. I mostly use it for eggs and vegetables. I just pour it into a cup from the pan. I've kept it in the fridge or on the counter and it lasts quite awhile.

[Pepper44]

And to think, all this time I've just been throwing bacon grease away!

Exactly how long DOES it last? How do you know if it's no longer edible/useable? Does it smell horrible or mold or what?

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Pepper44

Exactly how long DOES it last? How do you know if it's no longer edible/useable? Does it smell horrible or mold or what?

Yes, it'll start molding first, usually. I've only ever had it start molding after rendering, though - which is why I refrigerate it after rendering.

With the amount of salt and nitrates in it (even most nitrate free bacon has some natural nitrates), it'll keep for a good long while.

[Chinese Pistache]

I refrigerate mine in a big mug and when I need it, I just scoop some out with a butter knife. All the bacon bits fall to the bottom if you allow it to cool on the counter first.