Alternatives to using a Fat/Gravy Separator?

[keltin]

Your implication was that a fat separator was not needed. i was simply saying that there was nothing wrong with using one.

Uh, no, I never implied that, but you for some reason you read it in there.

I wanted to know if there was a dish that had critical timing that required this specialized tool. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t cooked EVERY dish in the world.

 

[Andy M.]

If you're separating fat from drippings for immediate use such as to make gravy for the turkey you just took out of the oven, a separater is a useful tool.

If you're making stock for future use, putting it in the fridge overnight to allow the fat to rise to the top and solidify is a better way to go, given the larger quantities and the timeframe.

 

[jennyema]

Exactly!! I need the defatted chicken/beef stock right now. Not tomorrow.
I wouldn't be without one of these gadgets. I had two,(different sizes) but am down to one.

I agree. It's one of the most useful things in the kitchen if you make sauces. You can't wait hours for the fat to harden.

Plus they are cheap.

 

[jennyema]

Really. Of the years I’ve been cooking, timing is THE thing to learn. Have you had many dishes that you couldn’t time right without a gravy separator? Does it make that much of a difference in your planning?

Gravy for one.

 

[keltin]

Please tell me this isn't happening again!

..................

 

[Caine]

Gravy for one.

You can make gravy for one? I've never tried that before. If I'm eating alone, I ususally use that "home made" gravy stuff that comes in a jar.

 

[GB]

I ususally use that "home made" gravy stuff that comes in a jar.

Better not serve that with canned cranberries

 

[Caine]

Better not serve that with canned cranberries

Hey, at least the gravy doesn't maintain the SHAPE of the jar!

 

[auntdot]

We have one or two of those gizmos about, but most of the time just skim with a good old fashioned spoon.

 

[Michael in FtW]

If she was wanting to make gravy to go with the meal she was preparing, my grandmother used a Mason jar and a tablespoon that she had bent the handle 90-degress to make a shallow skimmer ladel. She would then use the fat to make her roux.

I would say that you should use the method, and tools, that work best for you and your application. This is another one of those - there is no one correct method.

 

[miniman]

Must admit that when I'm making gravy. I pour the fat & jus out of the roasting pan into a saucepan. I then pour off most of the fat and use the remainder of the fat and the jus to make the gravy. No gadgets at all. We do have a seperator - force of habit keeps me doingthis way.

 

[Constance]

I have a plastic measuring cup with a long spout that comes out of the bottom. I guess that's what you'd call a gravy separator. It cost me about two bucks at Walmart. It's very handy.

 

[miniman]

Actually used my seperator tonight. I braised some rolled breast of lamb in red wine & orange juice. At the end of cooking - a thick layer of fat over the food, so I poured off the cooking liquor and used the seperator to take the fat off and landed up with a lovely non-greasy sauce.

 

[keltin]

Actually used my seperator tonight. I braised some rolled breast of lamb in red wine & orange juice. At the end of cooking - a thick layer of fat over the food, so I poured off the cooking liquor and used the seperator to take the fat off and landed up with a lovely non-greasy sauce.

Oh the irony! Would you believe I ended up wanting one of these last night! I did some braised beef short ribs, and had to de-fat the liquid!

I ended up using a large glass mixing bowl. The fat rose in about 3 minutes, and I then ladled it out and had perfectly de-fatted liquid. It worked really well, but I imagine a separator would have been even easier.

 

[Andy M.]

I often defat a braise right in the pot using a ladle to skim the fat off.

 

[keltin]

I often defat a braise right in the pot using a ladle to skim the fat off.

I typically do too! And I always end up with some good liquid mixed with the fat, so I put it in the fridge to congeal the fat and reclaim that little bit of liquid. With short ribs, I'm usually using a crock pot to make a soup or stew, but last night was a new recipe on the stove top, and this thread got me curious as to alternative ways of skimming fat.

The recipe called for braising the ribs for 2-3 hours, then set them aside, de-fat the liquid, then reduce it. Then bake the ribs in the remaining liquid to glaze them.

I was actually impressed with how quickly the fat rose in the glass mixing bowl and you could easily see the separation. But the recipe itself was horrible!

I KNEW better than to follow it exactly. It calls for 1 cup of soy and several other wet ingredients. In the end, you reduce it down to 1 1/4 cup, and let me tell you, reducing that much Soy down to that small amount is INCREDIBLY salty. What a waste of good short ribs. Oh well, live and learn. I think I should have probbly cut the soy in half, and subbed in some Teriyaki instead.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I have a fat separator but usually use a ladle.Reading these posts I had a thought what if you put a ladle or fry pan in the freezer then just set on top of what needs to be defatted.Would it work?

 

[Andy M.]

I have a fat separator but usually use a ladle.Reading these posts I had a thought what if you put a ladle or fry pan in the freezer then just set on top of what needs to be defatted.Would it work?

Yes, that would work. Some folks use frozen water bottles to cool down large pots of homemade stock and the added benefit is the fat solidifies on the bottle. So it could work with a skillet or fry pan, etc.

 

[Katie H]

Yes, Andy. I keep a couple of 1- or 2-liter bottles of water in the freezer for that very purpose and have posted same on this site. I just "swish" the frozen bottle of water in the liquid, which cools it down pretty quickly and the fat clings to the bottle. Pretty efficient and not messy at all.

 

[Caine]

I understand that, if you "float" a couple of slices of bread on top, the bread will absorb the fat and leave you with just the stock/broth.