Do you use bacon grease generally instead of other oils?

[georgevan]

or use bacon grease for special recipes? Any downsides to bacon grease?

 

[Andy M.]

Not generally. I've used it for eggs, potatoes and a few other things. It has a very low smoke point so it's uses are limited.

 

[rodentraiser]

I was hoping there was something I could do with bacon grease myself. I'm going to be frying up three pounds of bacon tomorrow and that will mean a lot of grease.

 

[medtran49]

I keep it in the refrigerator as it keeps forever without getting moldy, then use it for eggs, biscuits, whatever. I mostly use EVOO and vegetable oil though.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I was hoping there was something I could do with bacon grease myself. I'm going to be frying up three pounds of bacon tomorrow and that will mean a lot of grease.

Never fry bacon naked! Bacon comes out better if you bake it in the oven on sheet pans. No splatter, no mess, and you CAN be naked!

 

[Texmex]

Just try not to burn your bacon and then strain the grease into a jar and it will just keep forever in the refrigerator.

I put a spoonful of bacon drippings in just about any green vegetable such as green beans, spinach, and I always use it in a pot of beans. You don't even have to have chunks of meat in beans if you use bacon drippings if you are short on meat or money.

If you make cornbread, oil your pan with bacon grease for sure.

You can use bacon drippings on a warm spinach salad. I remember they're also required in a kind of complex balsamic vinaigrette I used to make for a pecan crusted spinach salad.

It's a great thing to have on hand.

 

[taxlady]

t's a great thing to have on hand.

Absolutely true.

I mostly use it for home fries and sometimes remember to use it with greens. But, if I think of it, I'll use if with just about anything that can handle the flavour.

 

[JustinJames]

Using bacon grease in special recipes can add a rich and savory flavor. However, it's high in saturated fats and sodium, so moderation is key. Downsides include potential health risks if consumed excessively. Additionally, strong bacon flavor may not complement all dishes.

 

[pictonguy]

I used bacon fat for homemade mayonnaise that was to go with lobster rolls, which turned out pretty good but switched it out with a brown butter mayo.

 

[pictonguy]

Using bacon grease in special recipes can add a rich and savory flavor. However, it's high in saturated fats and sodium, so moderation is key. Downsides include potential health risks if consumed excessively. Additionally, strong bacon flavor may not complement all dishes.

Bacon fat is generally consumed in small amounts, comparatively speaking and anything can potentially create a health risk, even water.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Sparingly to flavor beans, greens etc. A small scant teaspoon when frying eggs sometimes. I know a couple of cardiologist who love, love it. It keeps them in business.

 

[Texmex]

The thing I probably use bacon grease for most often are thinly sliced with a 2 mm blade on the food processor that doesn't come with it potatoes and onions. However I do go half and half with canola oil and bacon drippings.

I cook them really crisp until they're just a step away from being potato chips and still have some chew.

And then at that point you can either make bacon gravy to go with them or eat them with salsa stirred in while they're warm or just ketchup.

They really are one of the most delicious things you can cook I think. You can make a whole breakfast with them but I like them so well and it's just me so I usually just eat them and maybe occasionally an egg with them. But I'll just make a big Skillet of them and pig out.

 

[pictonguy]

I made another blue cheese bechamel sauce for streamed cauliflower again, one of my favorites, anyway, I used bacon fat instead of butter for the roux, it's a keeper, just thought I'd share.

 

[taxlady]

I made another blue cheese bechamel sauce for streamed cauliflower again, one of my favorites, anyway, I used bacon fat instead of butter for the roux, it's a keeper, just thought I'd share.

Sounds interesting. So, you make a bechamel sauce and crumble in some blue cheese and stir until it's melted?

 

[pictonguy]

Yep, based on bechamel, one of the 5 French mother sauces and from there adding cheese to it makes that derivative a Mornay sauce, a classic sauce where generally you'll see gruyere or with a percentage of parmigiana added to the gruyere. It's also traditional to add what's called an onion pique while making the bechamel which is basically an onion stuck with a couple of cloves and a few bay leaves for flavour, and you could of course add anything you want. I normally add white wine as well when making the bechamel.

 

[taxlady]

Thank you PG.

 

[dragnlaw]

It's also traditional to add what's called an onion pique while making the bechamel which is basically an onion stuck with a couple of cloves

I sooo remember my mom standing at the stove with an onion stuck with cloves in the sauce!
Don't remember if there was bay or not, but for some reason that whole onion with the cloves fascinated me. I also couldn't understand why one would throw it out after. Why would you cook something and then throw it out. LOL, just didn't make sense to my child's brain!
Of course she may or may not have saved it and thrown it in something else (a stew or chili?) but I'll never know now.

 

[pictonguy]

It's also traditional to add what's called an onion pique while making the bechamel which is basically an onion stuck with a couple of cloves

I sooo remember my mom standing at the stove with an onion stuck with cloves in the sauce!
Don't remember if there was bay or not, but for some reason that whole onion with the cloves fascinated me. I also couldn't understand why one would throw it out after. Why would you cook something and then throw it out. LOL, just didn't make sense to my child's brain!
Of course she may or may not have saved it and thrown it in something else (a stew or chili?) but I'll never know now.

The onion adds some flavor and sticking a couple of bay leaves to an onion with cloves makes it easier for retrieval as opposed to trying to remove a couple of cloves and bay leaves and could be pretty frustrating I suspect when there is no need for extra texture. I suspect this goes back to the 17th through to the 20th century when French chefs started to refine and codify recipes to showcase and make repetitive consistencies in taste, basically the foundation of French cooking. A consomme is a good example of that technique.

 

[Andy M.]

I made creamed onions yesterday. cream and onion flavored with bay (no cloves, I have my standards).

 

[dragnlaw]

Nice point, picton.
Never would have thought of sticking the bay with the cloves.

Andy, is that because your a nutmeg man?