[Sca-cooks] recommendations for fat

[Nick Sasso]

-----Original Message-----
> I'd lean towards a solid fat, I think...could melt it if you needed it in
> a more liquid form. I don't think you'd have much of a case with the
cheese, but you might
> with the bacon... It might be interesting if you could get ahold of some
tail? Am I
> remembering that correctly? Lamb/sheep fat that shows up in some of those
> Islamic recipes??? --Maire

< < < If you don't want to use tail fat, which is quite common in both
Middle
Eastern and Mongol recipes, you could go for ghee (clarified butter) which
works really well and has the added advantage of not needing to be
refrigerated!  The flavors are superb!
Kiri   > > > > >


If I were chosing, I'd go with raw pork belly (lardo in the Italian texts).
It has the same fat ratio as bacon, and has more flexibility in usages as it
is unsmoked and unsalted.  If refrigeration is an issue, then lard or
vegetable (olive) oil would be alternatives I'd choose.  Lard is first
preference.  I have lots more recipes that call for animal fat than
vegetable fat, and the flavor and flexibility are both pretty high with
something like lard or beef tallow.  Besides, with what you have left you
can make soap . . . or candles for fancy-dancy presentation addition :o)

niccolo difrancesco