Suet - What Happened To It?

[BreezyCooking]

It just occurred to me that I haven't seen beef fat/suet for sale in the supermarkets (at least around here) for several years now.

Used to be this time of year I could pick up a couple of packages for mere pennies to melt down & use to make my own treats for the wild birds. Since hubby isn't a red meat eater, I don't really have the option of saving my own from regular meat cuts.

Was just wondering if perhaps I missed some kind of government ruling prohibiting its sale.

[muzzlet]

I don't think it's been banned, I think it is just not popular so stores don't stock it. The only time I ever used it was to make kishke. It's pretty much heart attack on a plate, but oh so delicious!! We only have it once a year at Rosh Hashana. When my aunt would make it, she would get the suet from a butcher, who sold it ground in neat little packages.

[Andy M.]

How about looking where bird seed is sold?

[Uncle Bob]

Retailers (grocery) around here used to give it away...pork fat too. For the past several years they have stopped it completely due to liability issues/concerns. Now they want even sell it to you. All it takes is one individual to take some home and make "hamburger" out of venison and beef fat...make his kids so sick they have to go the emergency room..."Mr Consumer" blames it on the beef fat...After all...he did nothing wrong
It's not worth it!

Check the bird seed aisle at Wally World or you local supermarket.....

[BreezyCooking]

Naw AndyM. - I'm not talking about the commercial prepared stuff. I use those too, but use to only use those in the summer when our intense summer heat would melt &/or turn rancid the "real thing". I'm talking about the fresh beef fat here.

This was always available in the supermarkets - right next to all the lovely steaks, etc., in the refrigerated meat department. All it was was the hard fat trimmings from steaks & roasts, etc. A large plastic-wrapped styrofoam tray of it was no more than a dollar or so & was lots of fun to render down & turn into "birdie cupcakes", etc., for my many bird feeders.

This will be at least the 3rd year I haven't seen it in any markets. I guess I'll have to start asking the meat people if there's any way I can get it without it being a big deal.

You may be right Muzzlet - perhaps they just don't want to give valuable refrigerated shelf space to bird food - lol!

[BreezyCooking]

That's what I was thinking Uncle Bob - that perhaps because of all the hoopla around tainted beef, suet was now considered an unacceptable "by-product" healthwise.

Unfortunately, separate "butcher shops" have pretty much gone by the wayside. I do think there's an independent butcher a few towns over that I keep meaning to check out. Maybe I can convince him that I just want the stuff for the birds & won't turn him in if they start dropping from the skies after eating it - lol!!

[quicksilver]

Breezy, I used to get a huge piece to roast oven brown parsnips and carrots in. Just had to ask the butcher in the supermarket and they'd give me all that I needed. When I needed it several years ago, I asked the butcher, and he apologized, and said I had to get there first thing in the morning, as it is picked up and hauled away. So I did - and I got it, but was charged for it. -For something they throw away!
Well last week there was a local news story about a dump truck overturning, dumping its load of animal fat. It's trucked off somewhere for makeup, put in animal feed and other things. And those trucks hauling it aren't airconditioned. That grossed me out, as it's still in the 90's here everyday.
So there's your long-winded answer.

If I can find the story, I'll add it.

[DramaQueen]

Beef suet went the way of chicken necks and backs for making chicken broth. Can't find those either. I don't think a lot of people use suet anymore since cholesteral is on everyone's mind. It was used for savory pie crusts and rendering for frying but now the emphasis is on cholesterol free, trans fat free, fat free, taste free, etc. If you want suet you can ask you butcher for it and he'll put it away for you. I used it for rendering it and adding a ton of bird seed. In cold climates the fat keeps the birds warm.

[homecook]

Breezy, I happened to be in our small grocery store yesterday and they had beef suet packaged for 99 cents a pound. Most of the packages were 1 - 1-1/2 lbs. each. There were quite a few pkgs. too.

DramaQueen, they also had packages of chicken necks and backs for soup making, that's what it said on the pkg.

I know I've never seen either at the larger grocery store, Giant Eagle.

Barb

[DramaQueen]

Originally Posted by homecook

Breezy, I happened to be in our small grocery store yesterday and they had beef suet packaged for 99 cents a pound. Most of the packages were 1 - 1-1/2 lbs. each. There were quite a few pkgs. too.

DramaQueen, they also had packages of chicken necks and backs for soup making, that's what it said on the pkg.

I know I've never seen either at the larger grocery store, Giant Eagle.

Barb

Maybe in the midwest, but not here. There isn't a neck or back to be had anywhere. Now I feel bad.