removing grease/fat from cooking liquids

[Karl]

Being a chili fanatic, those 5 lb. 'chubs' of ground beef are ideal and the fat adds extra flavor to the browning meat, but isn't good to have in the finished product. I've found that those blue rolls of 'shop towels', available almost anywhere, provide an excellent solution. After browning your meat, pour all the liquid into a suitable container. Cut one of the towels into about 1" strips and, after the fat has risen to the top, simply lower one of the strips slowly into the container. It will become saturated with the fat and thus will not absorb the good liquid below it. Use additional strips as necessary. Pure magic! Ordinary paper towels will not work nearly as well.

For things like soups and stews where it isn't practical to separate the liquid from the rest of the ingredients, just remove from the heat and let cool to near room temperature; then use tongs to hold an ice cube and swirl it around the surface. The fat will congeal on the ice cube for easy removal. Repeat as necessary.

 

[Just Lou]

Karl,  u be da man.....

 

[Sollly]

Fat separators work well also, but it's hard to find a high capacity one. That's a good field expedient tip I will log in my brain.

 

[John From Detroit]

For liquids that can be stored overnight,  Pop in the firdge.  In the morning the fat will form a blanket atop the rest of the liquid, using tongs, fork, whatever, lift it off and dispose of in accordance with all Federal, State, and local laws rules and ordances (Line from a joke about lawyers and lightbulbs which I though fit here for humor's sake)    Works good too

 

[Wendy]

...dispose of in accordance with all Federal, State, and local laws rules and ordances (Line from a joke about lawyers and lightbulbs which I though fit here for humor's sake)? ? Works good too

Not to mention that fat is a 'toxic substance'.....

 

[Ned]

Wendy, who are you calling a "toxic substance"?

 

[Wendy]

Wendy, who are you calling a "toxic substance"?

Not the whole package, Ned, but................

 

[John From Detroit]

Not to mention that fat is a 'toxic substance'.....

Well, I would not know about Toxic but I think it is mentioned in my Haz-Mat manual.

Of course I'm kind of surprised at some of the stuff in that book... For example did you know that bailed hay (The stuff you feed your horse, or cows) is considered Haz-Mat? (Actually I know why and it is reasonable to so classify)

And that is just one example of stuff considered haz-mat I've played with in my youth growing up on a dairy farm.

Now.  What the bovines leave behind... There are two forms of this stuff (And both smell as sweet) there is the kind I shoveled as a kid, and the kind politicians around the globe shovel every time they speak... One of those is very toxic. I leave it to the reader to decide which (very evil grin)

 

[Wendy]

I've seen the Haz-Mat manual and I think just about everything is in there. Anything can be 'hazardous' in the right circumstances.

 

[ArdraF]

This subject caught my eye because of something I heard on a Thanksgiving newscast.  The Las Vegas Valley Water District was pleading with people to NOT put their grease down their sink drains.  It seems that Thanksgiving and Christmas are the worst time for the water and sewerage department because they get so much grease it clogs pipes.  The person representing the department said his worst nightmare is having one of the sewer covers "blow" because there's so much backup caused by grease.  He recommended draining the grease off into a container and putting it into the garbage can.  So I guess grease is better for the landfill than the sewer plant.  :-\

ArdraF

 

[Shayne]

And one of the worst things for a landfill.  Best thing to do is  recycle it in soap and other by products, like Gramma used to do.  But then that's work and we 're all too lazy for that. JMHO

 

[Wendy]

Turkey scented soap? Ick. I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to make soap out of fat. And how can fat be worse for the landfills than disposable diapers?????? Best way to recycle the fat is to add a bit to the dog's food every meal.

 

[Carl L]

Turkey scented soap? Ick. I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to make soap out of fat.

Well now, we will just have to remedy that won't we.    To find out all you wanted to do about soap making, just click HERE.

 

[Wendy]

Hmmm, I see Goat Fat, Lard, and Mutton Fat, but no Turkey Fat. And while I have no doubt that I could follow the directions here, I still really don't think that Turkey Scented Soap is very high on my list of desirables. Besides, if I used the turkey fat for soap, Sam wouldn't have his tablespoon of turkey fat with his dinner.

 

[Trishee]

Hey, we are retired right, who wants to make they're own soap