How can I render bacon fat without frying it?
I wanted to render the fat from some bacon to produce bacon grease. The usual advice that you see on the internet is to simply fry whole strips of bacon at a low heat, for a longer period, and the fat will melt away from the meat proper. That normally works for me.
The other day I wanted to try someting different. I have previously rendered other fats in different ways. I've tried a 'wet render', by simmering at a very low temperature in water. That worked well for lamb fat. And I tried a 'dry render' by putting the fat in the oven at a lowish temperature (gas mark 3 = 160C), which worked well for chicken skin.
I tried these methods with some bacon fat, that I had cut off from the meat of back bacon strips. So it was just 16 white strips of cold fat. But they didn't work. With the wet render, no matter how long I simmered for, the water didn't get more than a tiny bit oily. The dry render behaved similarly, except that it did give a tiny bit of fat, but nearly all of the fat was still whole, the bits hadn't reduced in size at all after I baked for about 5 hours.
Why didn't it work? At first I thought the temperature might be too high, but it's not like the bits were getting blackened or anything. And surely a higher temperature would also show signs of rendering the fat, it wouldn't just arrest the entire process.
Best Answer
Chop bacon finely...or even use a food processor. Place in a pot. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of pan and prevent initial sticking. Place on very low heat. You might even need a heat diffuser. You don't want frying, just low, gentle heat. Too much heat produces off flavors. It might take a few hours. You will have rendered fat, but also the cracklings (the stuff that doesn't render). Strain. Use both the fat and the cracklings. Really, it's the same process for rendering beef, pork, duck...any type of fat rendering.
Pictures about "How can I render bacon fat without frying it?"
What is the best way to render bacon fat?
To render, cook the bacon in a skillet over low heat. The process is slow (10\u201315 minutes) but it's the only way to completely extract the fat from the meat without charring it. Once the fat is melted out, remove the rendered bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper-towel-lined plate.How do you render bacon fat without burning it?
Select a pan that lets the bacon cook evenly, immersed in its own fat, without burning. Use a small pan for 3 ounces of bacon, a medium skillet for 6 to 8 ounces, and a large skillet for more. Employ gentle heat. Cook bacon over medium-low heat 10 minutes or until the fat is released and the meat is crisp and browned.How do you render bacon fat in a pan?
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. When the bacon strips are nicely browned and crispy, use tongs or a fork to lift them out of the pan and place them on paper towels (to absorb the excess fat) on a plate.How do you strain bacon grease without a strainer?
To store your bacon grease for cooking it's best to strain the oil into a sealable container like a plastic Tupperware or a recycled glass jar. Make sure you keep just the oil, not any remnants of breakfast; if you don't have a strainer or cheesecloth lying around try straining the oil with a paper towel.The Best Way to Render Bacon Fat
More answers regarding how can I render bacon fat without frying it?
Answer 2
Put it in a zip loc or better yet a vacuum sealed bag and simmer at 155 for a few hours. Sous vide is best.
Answer 3
From where I come from, we usually chop bacon finely, not mince or grind in a food processor (that process is used by industrial facilities, and the fat obtained is okay, but there are no true, chunky cracklings, which is a pity). Moscafj gave good advice, follow his instructions. Also, you can slightly salt the bacon and stir frequently when it starts melting. A peeled onion (cut in half, if very large) and added to bacon when it starts melting adds to the taste. You discard the onion when you drain the fat.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Valeria Boltneva, Milan, Erik Mclean, Anna Tarazevich