In old recipes, bacon fat, often affectionately called ‘liquid gold’, served as a foundational pantry staple. Before the widespread availability of vegetable oils, it was a primary cooking medium used to provide richness, salt, and a smoky depth to both savoury and sweet dishes.
If you wish to make your own bacon fat you should ensure the bacon is traditionally cured without nitrates or chemical preservatives; alternatively use a modern substitute, some of which are detailed below.
Methods of Collection
- Pan Drippings: The most common daily method was saving the liquid fat left in a skillet after frying breakfast bacon. Cooks would carefully pour the hot grease into a designated container, such as a ceramic crock, mason jar, or recycled coffee tin.
- Stovetop Rendering: To obtain large quantities, raw pork fat (like fatback or belly) was cut into small cubes and heated “low and slow” in a heavy pot or cast-iron skillet. A small amount of water was sometimes added initially to prevent burning.
- Oven Rendering: For larger batches, strips or chunks of bacon were arranged on a rimmed baking sheet and heated in a slow oven (about 300°F–350°F) until the fat liquified.
Refining the Fat
- Straining: To ensure the fat stayed fresh and didn’t impart a bitter flavor when reused, cooks strained the hot liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, cheesecloth, or even a coffee filter to remove “cracklings” (meaty bits).
- Clarification: For a purer, whiter fat suitable for baking, some cooks used a water-cleaning method. They would boil the rendered grease with an equal amount of water, let it cool in the refrigerator until the fat hardened on top, then lift off the clean “cake” of fat and scrape away the sediment collected at the bottom.
Traditional Storage
- “The Grease Jar”: In older kitchens, a ceramic or metal grease jar was often kept directly on or near the back of the stove for easy access.
- Preservation: While modern advice recommends refrigeration, historical cooks often relied on the salt content and the removal of meat solids to keep the fat shelf-stable for several weeks at room temperature.
Modern Substitutes
- Lard (Pork Fat): Very similar in composition to bacon fat, but typically has a neutral flavour. It is an excellent substitute for baking or frying and can be enhanced with smoked salt to mimic the bacon flavour.
- Beef Tallow (Beef Fat): This rendered beef fat has a high smoke point and is great for deep frying. It has a neutral flavour and can also be seasoned with smoked salt for a bacon-like taste.
- Duck Fat: Praised by some cooks as even better than bacon grease, duck fat adds a rich, distinct flavor to dishes, particularly roasted vegetables.
- Chicken Fat (Schmaltz): Often rendered from chicken skin, this fat adds a delicious flavour and can be used in a wide range of dishes.
- Butter (salted): A good alternative with a similar mouthfeel to bacon fat. While butter lacks natural smokiness, it can be “spiked” with UPF-free seasonings like smoked paprika, chipotle powder, or simple smoked salt to better mimic the bacon profile.
- Ghee (Clarified Butter): This Indian clarified butter has a high smoke point and a nutty, rich flavour, making it a good replacement for butter and a decent alternative to bacon fat in many recipes.
- Coconut Oil: This oil is high in saturated fat like bacon grease and can work well in dishes where a subtle coconut flavour is acceptable, such as certain curries.
- Avocado Oil: A healthier option with a very high smoke point, suitable for high-heat cooking. It is a good neutral base that requires the addition of ingredients like smoked salt, onion powder, and garlic powder to achieve a bacon-like flavour.
- Olive Oil: A common cooking oil, best used in concert with flavourings like smoked paprika or chipotle powder to add the missing smoky and savoury elements.