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Rendering deckle fat?

6,052 Views | 26 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by JAG03
BusterAg
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5:39a, 4/10/21
AG
Okay, so every summer I make about 750 breakfast tacos for my local swim team, and at least 400 of them are bacon / egg / cheese.

Aside from the smiling faces I see as little guys and girls and their parents shove great food into their faces, one of the side benefits I get is a whole crap load of bacon grease that I filter and put in my fridge for later cooking use.

Last year, no swim team. Thanks COVID.

This year, only 2 home meets, as opposed to the normal 5. Bacon grease is running low.

Tonight, I put all of the deckle fat from a brisket I cooked into a deep cast iron pan and cooked it on low all night. I think I have probably a pound of rendered fat from that. Bonus, the house smells like beef fat cooking, which is a very distinct and delicious smell. I am hoping the missus finds it nice when she wakes up. I will cook eggs.

Finally, question: Does anyone else render their brisket deckle fat? Any recommendations on when / where to use it? I was planning on just using it like bacon grease, but it will definitely have a different flavor.
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Max Power
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6:36a, 4/10/21
AG
I don't cook brisket often but I've thought about doing what you describe because tallow has awesome flavor. For some reason the consensus is that duck fat is the most flavorful animal fat, even more than bacon, but I disagree, tallow for me is the best. Every time I cook a mess of bacon I run it through a coffee filter and keep it in the fridge. I would definitely do the same thing with deckle fat if given the chance. I would try making some tortillas or biscuits with that fat if I were you.
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Tanya 93
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6:59a, 4/10/21
I once had duck fat fried potatoes

One of the greatest things ever

I
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Max Power
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7:02a, 4/10/21
AG
I've also had potatoes fried in duck fat, great stuff. But what tops that? Tater tots fried in tallow, mind blowingly tasty.
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Rattler12
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8:17a, 4/10/21
Doesn't beef fat go rancid quicker than pork fat?

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Koko Chingo
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11:37a, 4/10/21
AG
You will definitely get some fat. I do not think you will need to cook it all night long. Once you get to a certain point the ROI is not worth it. Monitor the amount of rendered fat and when you aren't getting any more you are either there or close. You can use a large pot or Dutch oven versus cast iron pans. If you want the pieces crispy you could brown them hot and fast then put them in the pot to brown, then turn down the heat and let render lid on.

After you get what you can out of it, keep it hot enough so that any water in the pot evaporates off (lid off). This might be 10 minutes or an hour depending on how much total liquid you have. Right at or just above boiling is the sweet spot for evaporation. Water is what makes grease splatter and this lets the water evaporate and leave without splattering. That is why you do not want to go too hot.

If this is something you want to do again without buying a brisket, ask your butcher at HEB for some fat beef or pork. Tell them what it is for so they get you the right pieces. I do this kind of extra labor in the kitchen stuff around the holidays. Last Christmas the HEB butcher gave me a bunch of fat from Prime ribs he just trimmed. He said I have to charge you something, he priced it at a penny a pound. It paid for the foam tray and plastic wrap.

I think you will be happy. It is all a matter of taste. I am partial to the used bacon grease. I think it is because it reminds me of my grandma and miss her. Those sort of emotions override your tastebuds.

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4:25p, 4/10/21
hbc07
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9:00p, 4/10/21
AG
I do. Lately I've been using it for doing chicken fried backstrap.
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schmendeler
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11:19a, 4/11/21
AG
McDonald's used to fry their fries in tallow. I don't think I need to say any more than that.
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Keeper of The Spirits
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8:03a, 4/12/21
AG
I am into trying all types of fat, I have several frozen containers of chicken, turkey, duck and pork fat in the freezer. I trim every brisket brisket I do pretty close, then throw the fat in the pressure cooker and discard the solids. It serves as a good sanity check for my trimming as well. I use the brisket fat for tortillas, vegetables, beans, sauces and I'll let it solidify or even freeze it and put it on top of a cooking brisket so it has a little melting moist maker
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Duncan Idaho
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9:25a, 4/12/21
Sticking the trimmed fat in an aluminum pan and rendering it during the cook isn't normal practice for most people?

Bonus, is once that fat has tendered you can take the trimming, season them and put them on the grate to make beef cracklin's

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Hodor
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2:37p, 4/24/21
AG
Jesse Griffiths (Dai Due chef/owner, and frequent MeatEater guest) fries fish and I think other things in rendered beef fat. I've wanted to try it, but haven't found a source for enough of it. When I asked at HEB a while back, they said they didn't have any. I'll have to try again.
__________________________________________________
De Omnibus Dubitandum
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schmellba99
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In reply to BusterAg • 4:43p, 6/29/21
AG
BusterAg said:
Okay, so every summer I make about 750 breakfast tacos for my local swim team, and at least 400 of them are bacon / egg / cheese.

Aside from the smiling faces I see as little guys and girls and their parents shove great food into their faces, one of the side benefits I get is a whole crap load of bacon grease that I filter and put in my fridge for later cooking use.

Last year, no swim team. Thanks COVID.

This year, only 2 home meets, as opposed to the normal 5. Bacon grease is running low.

Tonight, I put all of the deckle fat from a brisket I cooked into a deep cast iron pan and cooked it on low all night. I think I have probably a pound of rendered fat from that. Bonus, the house smells like beef fat cooking, which is a very distinct and delicious smell. I am hoping the missus finds it nice when she wakes up. I will cook eggs.

Finally, question: Does anyone else render their brisket deckle fat? Any recommendations on when / where to use it? I was planning on just using it like bacon grease, but it will definitely have a different flavor.
Use it to make home made tortillas
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HTownAg98
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10:27p, 6/29/21
The next time you make fajitas, use corn tortillas, and use the fat to soften the tortillas before you griddle them to warm them. Thank me later.

Doing this with duck fat for duck confit or sliced duck breast is a game changer for duck tacos.
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Buzzy
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In reply to HTownAg98 • 3:20a, 6/30/21
HTownAg98 said:
The next time you make fajitas, use corn tortillas, and use the fat to soften the tortillas before you griddle them to warm them. Thank me later.

Doing this with duck fat for duck confit or sliced duck breast is a game changer for duck tacos.
Don't you use fat to make corn tortillas?
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HTownAg98
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In reply to Buzzy • 7:13a, 6/30/21
Typically no.
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In reply to HTownAg98 • 7:57a, 7/1/21
SpiderDude
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In reply to schmendeler • 8:42a, 7/1/21
AG
schmendeler said:
McDonald's used to fry their fries in tallow. I don't think I need to say any more than that.

They should have never stopped.
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HTownAg98
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In reply to [removed post] • 10:49a, 7/1/21
jayelbee said:
Can you clarify this? A little fat on the griddle while warming them or softening them by dipping in hot oil like you would when making enchiladas, or what?

You don't put fat in the masa when you make the tortillas, though some people will do that to make them more pliable. What I'm referring to is brushing the tortillas with a little fat, then griddling them to warm them up. It helps soften them and gives you a little protection to keep the tortilla from falling apart. Plus, it tastes good.
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Buzzy
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In reply to HTownAg98 • 11:50a, 7/1/21
HTownAg98 said:
Typically no.
I've seen people use lard or butter to make tortillas, how would using rendered fat be any different?
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superunknown
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In reply to Buzzy • 12:17p, 7/1/21
AG
Buzzy said:
HTownAg98 said:
Typically no.
I've seen people use lard or butter to make tortillas, how would using rendered fat be any different?


Corn tortillas usually don't have fat in the masa, but flour tortillas do.
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schmellba99
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In reply to HTownAg98 • 4:24p, 7/1/21
AG
HTownAg98 said:
The next time you make fajitas, use corn tortillas, and use the fat to soften the tortillas before you griddle them to warm them. Thank me later.

Doing this with duck fat for duck confit or sliced duck breast is a game changer for duck tacos.
Why would I use corn tortillas when they absolutely suck and need to be finished by being cut into chips and fried?
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HTownAg98
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In reply to schmellba99 • 5:00p, 7/1/21
Because 125,000,000 Mexicans think you're full of *****
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sanitariex
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In reply to schmellba99 • 5:30p, 7/1/21
AG
Proper homemade corn tortillas are legit good, once I made a solid batch, I can't go back to store bought.
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Keeper of The Spirits
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5:35p, 7/1/21
AG
Yes all about the right corn tortillas and filling
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normalhorn
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3:09p, 7/2/21
I harnessed some beef tallow by trimming a brisket a few weeks ago, then dicing the fat up, tossing it in a crock pot for the better part of the day, and separating the yellow-ish/clear liquid fat from the burnt up crumbles that settled to the bottom. Strained it through cheesecloth, poured it in to an ice tray, then left the tallow cubes in a ziplock in the freezer for future cooks.
...take it easy on me, I'm a normal horn
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schmellba99
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In reply to HTownAg98 • 2:00p, 7/3/21
AG
HTownAg98 said:
Because 125,000,000 Mexicans think you're full of *****


Must suck to have that many people absolutely fuggin wrong
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JAG03
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2:58p, 7/3/21
AG
Why would y'all ruin the fat trimmings? I like to take the trimmings and season them and then smoke about 3 hours. It's a hell of a snack while waiting on your brisket to get done.
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