What to do with extra beef fat?

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 15:56

Chuckwagon has defined the circumstances when beef fat is good and when it is not desirable. In cold eaten sausage it is not so good but in sausage serve piping hot it can be good. Cold brisket fat is almost as hard as a candle but hot and well seasoned it is good. I like cold bacon but I don't like cold browned beef fat. Beef fat will coat the roof of your mouth if it is cold when you eat it so I can't imagine making a 100 percent beef bologna. Prime rib without the fat would be disappointing at best.
Tallow is an excellant lubricant for a crosscut saw in sticky wood. I keep a canful in the shop just for that.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 04:24

Shucks Jerbear, you could always save it up and make soap out of it. Yup, this stuff gives a fresh appearance to a horse wrangler's complexion and it's so vitally important to the skin "glow" of cow kickers, saddle bums, and polecats.

"Sunrise Skin Scrub"
(Quality Bathing Soap)

1 can lye
3 pt. cold water
5-1/2 lbs. clean strained lukewarm fat (yummy - yummy!)
2 cups oats (pulverized)
4 heaping tblspns. borax
2 oz. glycerin
orange or vanilla extract

Pour the lye into the cold water while heating the mixture. When the water is lukewarm, pour in the grease slowly, stirring constantly. Process the oats in a food processor then add them to the borax, glycerin, and orange extract. Stir the mixture into the grease-water slowly for 15 minutes using a long wooden spoon. Pour the soap mixture into a shallow pan and allow it to "set". When the soap become firm, cut it into cakes.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

story28 · Post by **story28** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 15:17

Thanks CW. I am going to give this a shot in the next couple of weeks. We have a forequarter of beef arriving soon. I've wanted to make my own soap ever since the movie Fight Club came out, so this will be fun.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 16:10

Be sure to observe the usual safety precautions when working with sodium hydroxide.

JerBear · Post by **JerBear** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 19:18

Where are you planning on getting your lye from? Once you get a supply you can start offering authentic soft pretzles in your shop.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:58

Here:
http://www.w2bchemicals.com/

NorCal Kid · Post by **NorCal Kid** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 18:27

ssorllih wrote:I would still freeze it against the day when I found a use for it. You could always grind it and incorporate it into dog food.

Since I had over 4 pound of beef fat from all my brisket trimmings, I kept a good portion of it; made it finely chopped, and am currently doling it out a bit every day into the kibble of my sausage-making assistant. She is quite pleased that I took this route with the extra fat. A 110lb dane pup can pack it away!

-Kevin

When not chewing her rawhide, she chews the fat!

Baconologist · Post by **Baconologist** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 05:10

JerBear wrote:So just to clarify Chuckwagon, are you suggesting to avoid the beef fat entirely or only the yellow fat? All my brisket trim was fairly white.

That said, can you recommend another use?

Brisket fat is excellent.

Great in beef snack sticks, beef salami, hot links, smokies, etc.
I can't imagine Lebanon bologna without good beef fat.
And of course it's great in real mincemeat, if you fancy that.

Bob

Big Guy · Post by **Big Guy** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 11:37

I mix it with moose and make Teryaki snack stixs

Baconologist · Post by **Baconologist** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 22:43

I forgot two of the most obvious, all-beef franks and summer sausage.

Bob