Chicken Fat

#21

True story:

Years and years ago, back when I was a mobile maintenance spark (electrical engineer), I called into a waste water treatment works for lunch.

The guys were great, welcoming (yes all male btw, I don’t care about wokeness, all welcome though).

I’m not joking, they offered me some fried food.
I looked at (and used the Mark 1 sniffer nose) the pan on the cooker plate, and noticed wee small rodent footprints gradually dissolving as the heat was upped, on the lard.
How long was that lard being recycled and used by the rodents?

Bad enough it being a literal sh*hole…but I thought surely the canteen would be an hygenic oasis.
Nope. I will say this though- apparently those people (working on sewage works) have really elevated immune systems…they don’t get sick.
That is anecdotal.

I’m glad I don’t work ‘in the dort’ as we say, fresh water only.
I made my excuses and left- sandwich at the local filling station.
:slight_smile:

#22

My Irish ex mother in law in Bay Ridge used to keep her bacon grease in the fridge where it would quickly solidify. She used it for all her cooking. At the time I used to think how unhealthy it was…who knew!

(Robin) #23

Every woman in my childhood poured all grease into a little metal container with a pour spout that set on the stove. Never put it in the refrigerator. Used it with everything. And nobody died. LOLOL
I still save it all but it’s in the fridge.

#24

I thought about that too. My rendered fat always have morsels in it (it’s pork though). And it’s so little I use it up in little time. Except when I roasted mutton… That released a surprisingly big amount of fat. The tallow I got always was pretty clean and lasted a long time in the fridge (I know as no one in the family touch it so I kept it for long and eventually fed to the birds and maybe partially to the cats).

#25

I would agree with that… However, I would only do that if the fat was boiled and filtered, then put cling film over the fat, actually making contact with the fat to stop air getting to it. Then still out the lid on.
Then if it is not opened at all, I would keep that indefinitely. But… I would scrape the top and make sure that fat was cooked through again before using. So I wouldn’t add it to a meal to increase the fat content, only for frying.

(Polly) #26

They never died? Robin you may have identified the elixir of … :rofl:

(Robin) #27

That took me a minute. LOLOL.
Yes, they are all dead now. Good point.
If that becomes the standard, we’re all doomed… but we’ll feel good anyway.

#28

Thanks for all the input on this thread, it’s all really helpful.
I’m just cooking for me so don’t think I’ll have much meat fat to save. I’m keeping fat from chicken and pork separately in the fridge and using a spoon of it here and there, I don’t put it back after re-using it.
I remember my granny using saved fat too and wish I’d remembered years ago as it really tastes good and the pan’s are easy to clean!

#29

Do you have a little metal container with a pour spout set on the stove filled with grease?

#30

I heard you can store fresh meats in tallow for years if say there were no electricity.

#31

remember also where the fat comes from is a key factor which is why beef and pork fat, from ruminants is better vs. fowl. In that what they carry into their fat is a diff. from a nutrient point of view on where that fat is coming from…so eat up your chick fat, I DO!!! but know it is inferior at all times to beef/big rumimant ‘on the hoof’ fat definitely.

(Robin) #32

I should get one! My husband might be grossed out, but I can live with that.