Wondering how to get bacon grease for cooking?
Here’s how (and lucky you, a byproduct is crispy cooked bacon).
Just last week my mother used a little bacon grease to cook up some spring peas.
Elise Bauer
I would have eaten every one of them if manners allowed.
The trick is to cook the bacon slowly, on medium-low heat.
Also, the bacon fat will help season the cast-iron pan.
Elise Bauer
But any pan will do.
Otherwise, you’ll want to keep it stored in the refrigerator.
The enemies of all cooking fats are light and air.
Elise Bauer
you’ve got the option to also freeze bacon fat if you want to store it even longer.
What to Do With Bacon Grease
Bacon fat is such a flavorful fat to cook with.
We use a generous amount when making Mexicanrefried pinto beansor black beans.
Elise Bauer
Bacon fat is fabulous forsauteing brussels sprouts.
When cooking with bacon fat, spoon it out from the jar.
Usually half a teaspoon is all that is needed to give a flavor boost to what you are cooking.
Elise Bauer
How Long Does Bacon Fat Last in the Fridge?
Eventually, all fats go bad.
For even longer storage, freeze your bacon grease.
It has a low smoke point, though, so it’s not good for high-heat cooking.
But it’s great for roasting, moderate sauteing, and baking.
Bacon grease livens up savory dishes, but don’t limit yourself.
Try using bacon grease in place of butter in sweet or savory baking recipes.
Topping the finished dish with chopped bacon bits takes the place of added sea salt, too.
Note that the flavor of the bacon grease will depend on the bacon itself.
Some are saltier, some are smokier.
Likewise, don’t pour hot grease into a trash can; it can melt the trash bag.
Never pour bacon fat down the drain!It will solidify as it cools and clog your drain.
A (16-ounce) package of bacon will yield about a cup of rendered fat.
Ingredients
Stripsof rawbacon
Method
Heat a large skillet on medium-low heat.
Lay out several strips of raw bacon.
Let the strips cook for 10 or 15 minutes, turning them occasionally.
Pour the remaining fat in the pan into a jar, and put the jar in your refrigerator.
The bacon grease will solidify to a slightly off-color white.
When you cook bacon again, pull out the jar and add more of the excess fat to it.
I find that these bits have plenty of flavor, so I don’t bother to strain them.
