You may not know how much I love bacon. If you don't, well, I love it. A lot.
I especially love bacon from my local butcher Prather Ranch Meat Company. Their bacon is thick and tasty. And it happens to give off a TON of fat. I remember my parents saving the bacon fat when I was younger in a cup on the counter or in the fridge and I think they would often throw it away. They were scared of eating it because of the ever-popular and ever-misleading lipid hypothesis. In short, it's the research study that's to blame for the notion that eating fat makes you fat. More on why that's entirely untrue later. I promise.
Back to the fat. These days, I save my bacon fat. I keep in a glass jar in my fridge and I use it. Often. Whenever I'm making a dish that requires cooking something that might taste better with a bit of a smoky taste added…I grab the bacon fat and plop a spoonful into my cast iron pan. Voila! There's cooking oil that I didn't really have to pay for. I mean, it dripped off of my bacon. I bought the bacon for the meat, but, in reality, I got meat AND cooking fat too! Score!
So, the next time you buy a nice quality bacon, and you pay top-dollar for it, save the fat. Don't throw it away. Your great grandmother would be proud of you for not only using all of the food you bought, but also for saving some pennies in the meantime!
Check out a dinner I made tonight using some leftover bacon fat over there to the right: a Marin Sun Farms grass-fed beef burger that I seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and hot sauce served over a mix of onions and summer squash, garnished with cilantro. Delish!
Post a comment below telling me what you cook in bacon fat, or how you save other run-off fats to use for cooking later. I'd love to hear from you.
If you'd like more information on saving money while eating real, healthy, organic whole foods, or to find out more about holistic lifestyle coaching services in-person (in the Bay Area) or remotely (via phone, email or Skype), contact me today.
Comments 3
I learned a LOT from my Grandma and one of the biggest things was not to waste anything.
Bacon drippings were highly prized.
Thank you for helping to spread the word about frugal and natural living !
Have a good day.
Are you on twitter too ?
http://twitter.com/Relax_Naturally
Organically Yours,
Diana
I love Swiss chard, kale or other greens sauteed in bacon fat. Also wonderful — sliced bananas.
Brussel Sprouts sautéed in bacon fat. Thin slices of onion, sweated very slowly, in bacon fat, then added to any thing. Question, is it necessary to strain the bacon fat before saving it or is that a waste of time and cheese cloth?