Culinology - June 2019 - 20

INGREDIENT trends

Duck fat adds a
distinct personality to
roasted potatoes.

Rendered bacon fat
with maltodextrin
creates a dust
for a potato
croquette.

Woodfire Counter at
Chicago French Market

Bacon grease
During the Great Depression it was common to save bacon grease for use as a cooking fat. While there may be a few home cooks
and chefs who continue this tradition, it's
often too messy of a process to bother.
Because nothing quite matches the deliciousness that bacon contributes to almost
any dish, culinary professionals may turn to
commercially produced rendered smoked bacon fat, which is basically the leftover grease
from cooked bacon. It is the byproduct of the
manufacture of microwaveable bacon and
bacon bits, with the impurities filtered.
At the 11th Annual Baconfest in Chicago,
Chef Bob Zrenner of the multi-unit Tap House
Grill replaced the mayonnaise in pimiento
cheese spread with bacon fat. This resulted in
a smoother, creamier dipping cheese with a
smoky profile.
Dan Weiland, executive chef, About Last
Knife, part of the Oxford Group in Chicago,
combined rendered bacon fat with maltodextrin to create bacon dust. The powder was
used as a garnish on a potato, bacon and
pimiento cheese croquette. Such a dust may
be used with both sweet and savory foods
to deliver a smoky taste that may be varied
by the type of smoked bacon. The technique
also works with other rendered animal fats.

Lard and tallow
Industrial seed oils found their way into the
American diet in the early 1900s. Until then,
rendered animal fats - the fat melted out of
meat, separated and saved - was used for
most cooking.
"Tallow and lard were king," said David
Cole, chief executive officer, Fatworks,
Longmont, Colo. "With many consumers looking for more traditional and less processed
foods, animal fats are making a resurgence.
"These traditional fats introduce chefs to

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Culinology | JUNE 2019

a new world of potential flavors. Each fat,
whether it be the neutral-flavored leaf lard,
which is made from the visceral fat around
the kidneys of the pig, the rich poultry fats like
chicken and duck lard, or the hearty beef and
lamb tallows, impart their own personality."
"Pork fat and goose fat is huge in Eastern
European dishes," Mr. Cole said. "Duck fat is
a French cooking staple."
Beef tallow emulsified with well-seasoned
beef broth is a compound product that increases beef flavor in various applications.
"A dollop on top of a grilled steak intensifies
the beef-eating experience," said John Draz,
executive research chef, Ed Miniat LLC, South
Holland, Ill. "It's also great for finishing vegetables, such as green beans, that are sides
to any beef dish.
Justin Moser, executive chef, Table, Donkey
and Stick, Chicago, likes working with lamb
tallow, often using it as a confit medium. "The
flavor of lamb is so intense and delicious. The
fat brings that," he said.

Coconut oil and MCTs
The popularity of the ketogenic weight loss
diet has culinary professionals exploring techniques to offer foods that fit the approximate
75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrate
targeted nutritional profile. Medium-chain
triglyceride (MCT) oils play an important role.
These are special saturated fats that have
been shown to promote weight loss and assist with the reduction of the body's fat mass.
Coconut oil is approximately 15% MCT,
while palm kern oil and milkfat are about 8%
and 7%, respectively. The latter varies based
on the cow's diet, with grass-fed milk yielding
a higher concentration of MCTs.
With consumers' growing interest in plantbased foods, coconut oil has become a
popular fat choice. Because it is nearly 90%
saturated fat, it has a firm texture at room

Culinology - June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Culinology - June 2019