SC - rendering chicken fat

[Nicholas Sasso]

In my reading of Grigson's Charcuterie and some other references from turn of the century, grinding the material before the rendering will give you a generally easier and more efficient extraction.  The tissues are all broken up, and there is a quicker melting of the animal fat before the surrounding tissues brown/burn.  I am teaching a basic class on rendering beef and pork fats in November in GA.  Promises t be fun.

The method I am using is heating water in quantity (say three gallons) and then adding ground tissues to the pot.  The tissues render and sink a little, leaving the fats floating on top.  Skim the fat off, press the tissues, and you got lard/tallow.  The water serves to regular/diffuse the heat and prevent scorching.  Cool stuff.  Anyone got medieval references to how to render?  I haven't looked through Menagier or Scully's stuff yet, and that is my weekend project.

niccolo difrancesco