Bacon Question

[Bavind]

 ;D
Just had a conversation with a friend about bacon. Do you keep the bacon grease when cooking your bacon? What do you use it to cook? He seemed to think bacon fat was bad for you and using it was a bad thing. Personally I think there is nothing better than fried potatoes with a little onion fried in bacon grease. LOL

[Tenpoint5]

Some days I save it some days I dont. But yeah there is nothing better than fried taters in bacon grease. I use cathead biscuits to sop whats in the pan on some days better than butter. I don't get to do that much anymore since the BP got high

[devo]

You can replace your butter with bacon fat. Plus bacon fat is so much better then margarine, you can use it to cook whatever you want to.

[jiggerjams]

Yep fried taters and onions in bacon fat is the best. I wonder if the bacon fat can substitute the oil when making bread or if it will solidify.

[iconoclast]

I like to save the fat and use it for potatoes, scrambled eggs or stir fries. it imparts nice smoky goodness. I usually dont bother saving it from commercial bacon, but my own seems so much more smoky and flavorful.

health wise....its hard to comment. everyones health is relative ;)

seriously though.... all fats basically have the same amount of calories, therefore they're equal in that sense (in case one is concerned about calories for health purposes ;)

And then we're left to discuss composition, mainly the types of fat. trans, saturated, poly, mono; basically from least healthy to most healthy. the idea being that trans and saturated can lead to build up on those delicate artery walls and cause high cholesterol and such nasty things.

there are arguments that animal fats are quite healthy in moderation, supplying many nutrients and that the human race have been eating them for so long without much issue.

trans fats are a man made abomination produced from hydrogenation, thankfully have little place on these boards ;)

other fats and oils are basically made up of these other types of fats.  as a rule of thumb it can be said that the harder a fat is the more saturated fat it contains, the less it has the softer it is. from this we can say from most to least.........suet/tallow, butter, lard, poultry, vegetable oils.

theres also a whole discussion about fatty acids, omega this n that, the balance of ploy vs mono etc but im loosing steam... haha

personally I think eating is something to be enjoyed, not simply a bodily necessity! therefore eat your bacon fat... but all things in moderation =)

Also duck (and apparently goose) fat from confit is fantastic for fried potatoes!


now if I can only hide the cooking spray and nonstick pan from my girlfriend....

[RAF128]

Sometimes we save ours.   Use it on those rare occasions when we do liver.   

[OU812]

I same mine and use it to fry taters in and when making a roux.

Some gravy made with a bacon grease roux on some smashed taters served with smoked pork loin chops.

Now thats gooood.

[KyNola]

I same mine and use it to fry taters in and when making a roux.

Holy crap Curt, never thought about using bacon grease when I make a roux!  That sounds good but when I make a roux for gumbo I start out with about 2 cups of oil.  I'm thinking 2 cups of bacon fat might be the least bit artery clogging. :D

[OU812]

I same mine and use it to fry taters in and when making a roux.

Holy crap Curt, never thought about using bacon grease when I make a roux!  That sounds good but when I make a roux for gumbo I start out with about 2 cups of oil.  I'm thinking 2 cups of bacon fat might be the least bit artery clogging. :D

May be a bit.  :D

When making a roux for gravy I use 1/4 cup grease/ flour and add water till it looks good.

[Bavind]

Bacon fat to make a roux, now theres an idea. ;D ;D ;D

[OU812]

I use the sausage grease to make a roux when making biscuits and sausage gravy.  :o

[DTJ]

Never thought of using it ffor gravy/roux great idea.  We use ours instead of the oil when making popcorn...very nice smokey flavor.


Daryl