Multiple Uses for Bacon Fat
Yes, bacon is delicious. While I usually advise my readers to avoid animal products, I understand the need to be a “flexitarian.” If you’re making an effort to make your household zero waste, then here I share the many awesome and different ways you can use that leftover bacon fat.
I began my journey into becoming vegan and eating whole, organic, plant-based, unprocessed foods back in 2019. I don’t eat bacon, but I cook it for my family…but always in moderation. I cook it in the oven which cooks it perfectly. I prefer thick sliced apple wood smoked bacon from pastured pigs.
Multiple Uses
I used to just throw the bacon fat away, but as I make my household zero waste, I started saving it and using it in various ways. I have formed a list for you. Lists are cool. Lists are easy to follow.
- Popping popcorn on your stove top. Instead of using olive oil (or canola oil), use your stored bacon fat.
- If you have dogs, add it to their dog food for better flavor and digestion. Not to mention it helps keep their coats shiny and healthy.
- When baking cornbread (or any other bread) use it to grease the baking pan or skillet before you add the mixture.
- Add it to veggies while you’re cooking. This way you don’t really need to add much salt, and it gives the veggies a hint of delicious smoky flavor.
- Use bacon fat in place of margarine for certain recipes, like pie crusts or dough for pasties. Get crazy and experiment.
- Use it while frying up potatoes, steaks, shrimp, onions, eggs…practically anything you can think of frying up.
- Add bacon fat into cream cheese to make as a sauce for different dishes. It tastes delicious poured over squash, broccoli, steaks, and potatoes. Also works well in gravy recipes.
- When making pancakes, instead of using oil, use bacon fat. So genius.
- Add into soups when you’re cooking over the stove- it will give your soup that extra hint of delicious savory flavor.
- For an even tastier turkey sandwich (or any other lunch meat), lay warm liquid bacon fat on a plate to form a very thin layer. Lay your turkey slices on top of the grease to just lightly coat the lunch meat. Then simply add to your sandwich. You can also do this with your cheese. This method is so tasty you won’t need to use mayonnaise.
Dos
Now that you have ten reasons to hang onto that bacon fat, your fridge or freezer should contain glass (or metal) sealed containers full of the stuff. When you’re done cooking your bacon, simply pour the grease into the container and store it. It’s as simple as that.
Do Nots
Do not discard it by pouring it down the drain. Not only does this wreak havoc in your plumbing, but it reaches the city’s drainage system, where it congeals into solids making a mess of the general public works.
Do not discard it by throwing it in the rubbish bin. It will end up in landfills where it will never break down, instead producing greenhouse gases (GHGs).
How to Save the Fat: once the bacon fat has cooled, pour it into a (glass) mason jar and store it in the fridge. Some people recommend straining it to prevent clumps of bacon from going into the jar.
In the fridge: bacon fat will last for months and months (especially if you strain out all the solids). If you have large amounts of bacon fat to save, you can fill ice cube trays with it and freeze.
On the countertop: bacon fat will last for several weeks. It’s best to put it in the fridge to prevent it from becoming rancid.
Recipes Using Bacon Fat
- Roasted Beet & Basil Salad with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette
- Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
- Make Bacon Mayo
- Use it to fry Fishy Bites…or anything else
- Make these Silver Dollar Pancakes with it, subbing out the grapeseed oil for bacon fat
- Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits—these are from the cookbook Beyond Bacon. It’s a beautiful cookbook dedicated to the humble pig
- Stir Fry Eggs
- Bacon Fat Vinaigrette Dressing—we make this all the time and it’s delicious
- Maple Bacon Aioli in which to dip Sweet Potato Fries
- “Cornbread“—follow this recipe, but while putting the batter together, add a few Tbsp. of bacon fat to the 9″ baking square and melt in the oven. Then add the batter and bake according to directions
- Bacon Cookies—substitute some bacon fat for the coconut oil
- Fry your steak in it
- Yellow Lard Cupcakes (or Cake)—I made these and loved them. I substituted bacon fat for lard
- Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms—this is amazing with dairy
- Bacon Deviled Eggs—these are so good
- Paleo Roasted Stuffed Tenderloin
- Sauté spinach, in bacon fat
- Cook cabbage in bacon fat
- Sauté kale in bacon fat
- Spinach Bacon Potato Frittata—eliminate feta to make this dairy-free
Source and photo credits:
The Many Uses of Bacon Grease
https://bacontoday.com/2012/10/15/the-many-uses-of-bacon-grease/
Published by bacontodayadmin on October 15, 2012
20 Recipes Using Bacon Fat!
https://thepaleomama.com/2013/08/27/20-recipes-using-bacon-fat/
by JACKIE RITZ AUGUST 27, 2013