I'm kind of roughing it at the moment up in the mountains away from family renovating a condo at a ski resort. The hope is to rent the unit out for income, but that is beside the point. Yesterday, I had BLT's for dinner and rather than dispose of all the excess bacon grease, I put it in a bowl and into the fridge. Now the questions - what can I do to re-purpose this nectar of the gods to incorporate it into other dishes? Anybody found use for bacon grease/fat? I'm all ears....

 

Two words: Grilled Cheese! Instead of buttering the bread before grilling, use the bacon fat as if it were butter. Nothing better.

 

Any recommendation on bread and types of cheese?

 

Another suggestion: When I was young I used to go fishing/camping with my Uncles, who were both "cooks" in the army. (they volunteered to be cooks...they figured the real soldiers wouldn't let the cooks get shot! I guess they were right)

Anyway, we always had bacon with breakfast, and they would save the rendered bacon fat and use it to make popcorn at night. I don't remember the details, other than they made it in a large beat up saucepan with a lid, and used the bacon fat instead of oil, but I'll bet if you googled it you could find out how much fat to use, etc... I recall it tasting wonderful.

 

I'm partial to sharp cheddar and good rye bread. Muenster on country style white is good too.

 

Works good in cornbread, pinto beans, blackeye peas, spinach and my grandpa sopped his biscuits in it. Enhances the flavor of nearly any wholesome basic food. If you are prone to eating turnip greens and/or collard greens they are improved with bacon grease.

RR

 

Use it hot over just about any greens (esp spinach) in a vinaigrette type dressing. Plenty of recipes out there. Friend from WV called it wilted spinach salad.

Also, roasted potatoes or biscuits.

Basically almost anywhere you would use an oil or butter but would like an added bacon element of flavor.

 

Here in the South we season almost any green vegetable with bacon drippings. Collards, turnip greens, green beans. Doesn't take much, but the taste is awesome.

 

Frying in bacon fat was literally part of the recipe for my grandma's fried potatoes.

 

My mother wilted cabbage in hot bacon drippings in a cast iron skillet then lowered the heat added water. covered the pan, and simmered till done.

Mom had one of those apple shaped ceramic containers setting on the stove that was always full of bacon drippings. Guess it doesn't spoil because she never refrigerated it.

Similar to Mom's:

 

I like to pour cooled bacon fat into icecube trays. Once frozen pop them out into a ziplock bag and keep in the freezer.

My absolute favorite thing to use bacon grease for is frying pancakes. Gives that taste and crispy edge that can't be beat!

 

Bacon Burger:
Soften grease slightly. Open one side of the bun and dip open face into grease. Add patty and other fixings. You now have a bacon flavored... Alternate recipe. Due the same with hot dog bun. Result will be a bacon flavored hot dog!...

Scrabbled or sunny side up eggs...Bacon flavored eggs...YUM YUM....

Agree...
Bacon Flavored French Fries... or bacon flavored corn on the cob
Any place cooking oil, butter or margarine can be used bacon grease can be substituted.
Just have to be creative...

On the road to or back stop in and eat at Mountain Mans Joe's...HA HA...

In the woods or mountains?
Use caution: Bacon grease is an excellent BEAR attractant...look for tracks

 

Wow, now I feel better. Mom and dad always used the bacon grease anytime they had it, many of the above uses. But my family gagged if I used it, even for basted eggs, so I always made sure they weren't looking.

Love to cook my bacon and then tip the pan while the bacon finishes and drop my eggs into the grease. Hmmm good.

Bud

 

fried corn always better with bacon grease.

 

Wonderful ideas! As mentioned earlier, does anyone know how long he grease will last without spoiling? Is it similar to lard that once rendered has a unlimited shelf life?

 

Bacon fat cooking...taste great, YES...Healthy...NO

 

According to what I saw when I was a kid, those drippings sat on the back of the stove forever, I never died from it. If you refrigerate it covered, it could last quite a while. Not unlimited, but I've never had any go bad. I do empty it occasionally to make room for newer stuff.

 

I lived on a small 40 acre farm & we raised a few hogs for meat along with a few other animals. We would harvest 2 hogs per year. We were backwoods poor who found a use for everything. Mom never threw away pork grease. She used it to season greens, peas, beans, etc. She used it to fry some things like eggs. She never refrigerated. As someone else mentioned, there was always a dish/bowl of some sort on the stove with drippings, ready for use. After initial use & one additional use, she'd throw it out.
She hand made biscuits & she used the pork "drippings" (grease) to put on top of the biscuits. I remember she would have a pan of about 10 - 20 biscuits & take a table spoon & push down on the top of about 4 biscuits to make a little "dip/indention/crater", dip the spoon in the drippings put some of that on each biscuit, push 4 more down, grease, repeat, till she had them all done, then bake.

 

Between reading this and smelling the aroma of thanksgiving cooking in our kitchen - my belly is growling