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4
votes
2answers
42 views

Estimating the fat content of homemade chicken foot gelatin

I recently simmered a pot of chicken feet (including skin) for the first time and made an astonishingly gelatinous gelatin. It's clearly suffused with chicken fat, but I have no idea how much -- I ...
0
votes
0answers
32 views

What is the science or chemistry of the creaming method in baking? [duplicate]

Please help me understand the chemistry of fat in baking as it applies to the creaming method.
2
votes
3answers
135 views

Will flavors marry in compound butter if given sufficient time to rest?

Edit: I plan to actually do a blind taste test to put this question to bed and satisfy my curiosity. If anybody wants to beat me to it, please feel free. If you make a salsa (for example) and store ...
2
votes
2answers
178 views

What are the benefits of making butter at home?

I've recently realized how easy it is to make your own butter at home (thanks, SA!). Are there any significant benefits to this as opposed to buying butter in the grocery store? I do not have access ...
3
votes
2answers
140 views

Why would I want to use the creaming method in waffles?

All good chemical leavened waffle recipes I have had (the ones from New best recipe, Bittman, etc.) instruct me to melt solid fats before adding them to the waffle batter. I only once tried a recipe ...
4
votes
1answer
67 views

Is there any difference between a given cream and mix of different milks resulting in the same fat percentage?

Is there any difference between a given cream and mix of different milks resulting in the same fat percentage? For example, is there any difference in a half-and-half cream, say 16% of fat, and a 50% ...
7
votes
1answer
214 views

Storing and re-using rendered duck fat

I recently made duck confit in my slow cooker. I purchased a 2 lb container of rendered duck fat for that purpose, which I'd like to save. Is it possible to re-use the fat? If so, how should I store ...
0
votes
5answers
198 views

How do I add healthy fats to my daughter's diet? [closed]

My daughter is going through a growth spurt right now and having trouble sleeping through the night. I asked this question on ParentingSE and based on what I wrote, the advice I have gotten is that a ...
2
votes
1answer
226 views

Why isn't the beef fat in my chili melting?

I'm making some Texas-style chili ("beans optional" :) for the second time, and the fat on my brisket just does not want to melt. As the recipe instructs, the chili sits on the stove for 4+ hours at a ...
3
votes
2answers
144 views

What oil/fat is best for basting sunny-side-up eggs?

I've recently gotten into sunny side up eggs. I definitely like the top to be set up a bit, so I baste them in the hot cooking oil. I'm wondering what oils and fats people find best for this. So far ...
7
votes
2answers
309 views

Fat content in homemade stock

First of all, I don't know the difference between stock, broth and bouillon in english (not my native language), but what I mean is when you cook for example a chicken carcass with vegetables for a ...
3
votes
1answer
519 views

Should I pour off the liquified fat while cooking bacon?

At home, I'm likely to cook bacon stovetop in a cast iron skillet. In commercial kitchens I've worked in, bacon goes on sheet pans in the oven. In each case, I usually pour off excess fat once or ...
2
votes
3answers
154 views

Replacing cream and butter in a carrot casserole/pie

Casserole from pureed carrot (it may be a "pie" rather than a "casserole" though - my footing in Anglo cooking terms isn't very strong, feel free to edit) is a traditional Finnish recipe. ...
2
votes
3answers
509 views

Blow torching meat after sous vide - add fat or not?

After I pull the meat out of the sous vide and then use a blow torch to sear it, should I use a fat on it or not? Will that get a better crust on it?
3
votes
1answer
336 views

What limitations are there to sauteeing with water?

I was recently helping with some recipes and was instructed to use water for "sauteeing" onions, celery, garlic, etc in place of oil (scare quotes on "saute" since it involves frying in oil or other ...
5
votes
1answer
290 views

Does searing cause more or less oil to be absorbed than frying?

Let's assume that I have two identical pans, with equal amounts of oil in each, and two practically identical slices of tofu (or whatever else, but I'm referring to items that would be more spongiform ...
3
votes
1answer
268 views

Proper grease for a meat slicer blade

I just found an old hand cranked meat slicer which I can use to slice homemade lunch meats. It was free, but it obviously hasn't been used awhile. Inside there are two gears, and a bearing on which ...
1
vote
1answer
107 views

Grilling duck - How can I get the fat?

I'm going to grill a whole duck tomorrow. I am going to steam the duck before so the fat will render off. When that's complete, I am going to have a pot full of duck fat and leftover water. ...
7
votes
2answers
540 views

Why does Béarnaise separate as opposed to crème brûlée or lemon curd?

When making creme brulees in the oven, they are heated to something like 100° C, or over. When making bernaise, heating it like that is a sure way of making it separate. As far as I've understood, it ...
1
vote
2answers
3k views

How can non-hydrogenated shortening exist?

I'm having a hard time looking up this question, but I have some palm oil shortening and I see some coconut oil shortening that are both non-hydrogenated. I thought the oils would be more liquid than ...
4
votes
2answers
4k views

Rendered pork fat vs lard vs bacon fat?

What is the difference between "rendered pork fat", lard, and bacon fat? I've seen lots of references to rendered pork fat in the Momofuku cookbook, references to lard in one of my Schezuan ...
5
votes
8answers
7k views

Which type of oil/fat should I use for deep frying?

I just got my first ever deep fryer yesterday. Looking round in the shops, I found that I can get bottled frying oil, or a white solid block type of fat which I've never used before, I guess it may be ...
2
votes
1answer
434 views

Oil/Fat substitutes in bread

I have a bread machine and make bread using margarine (I need to avoid all dairy). The problem is the margarine doesn't always mix properly and sometimes ends up on the outside of the dough, leaving ...
0
votes
1answer
179 views

Funky taste - Oil or Fat?

I cooked some Turkey sausage out of the casing in about 3/4 a tablespoon of canola oil (recipe called for olive oil). I tried to drain out most of the grease. I added some soft cheese to it and ...
7
votes
2answers
822 views

Why wouldn't you strain hamburger grease after cooking?

So I've got a friend who makes many dishes involving hamburger but doesn't ever strain it. The grease is added to a dish like Shepard's pie which to me just seems very gross. I see alot of posts ...
5
votes
2answers
718 views

How much of the oil will stay in french fries?

Is there a fixed percentage of how much of the oil used to frying french fries will stay in the served french fries? I guess that it depends on things like dimension of the french fries, frying ...
0
votes
2answers
1k views

Replacing butter with olive oil

This is more of a food preparation/health question since it's after the food has been cooked. Recently I've been substituting butter with olive oil. For example, baked potatoes, instead of butter and ...
0
votes
1answer
405 views

How does meat nutritional profile change in freezing?

My teacher said that you cannot stop fats going bad with freezing. So fatty meat is not good idea to freeze over a long time. Are there other factors to consider in freezing meat?
3
votes
2answers
1k views

How can I determine fat content in beef?

I'm looking to determine with as much accuracy as possible (without buying specialized equipment) the fat percentage of ground beef. Is anyone aware of a method that will get me reasonably close? I ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views

Are roasted nuts nutritionally different from raw nuts?

If I roast a selection of mixed nuts, does it significantly change their nutritional content? Also: Are there any potential food safety issues around roasting nuts (e.g. does it damage the oils)?
4
votes
1answer
955 views

How does replacing some butter with shortening affect rising / leavening in cookies (biscuits)?

I have been replacing half (half a cup) of the butter called for by some cookie recipes with half a cup of shortening and have noticed that some of these cookies rise less than I expect. Is there ...
8
votes
2answers
353 views

why is cooking in oil or fat considered dry heating?

Why is cooking in oil or fat considered dry heating, while cooking in wine is considered moist heating?
-2
votes
1answer
139 views

Crispy cheesy snacks for dieters

I am going to experiment making a savoury cheese crispy snack like Twisties or Cheezels. I have these ingredients in mind. Corn, Vegetable Oil, Rice, Whey Powder, Cheese Powder (parmesan), Vegetable ...
12
votes
1answer
22k views

Conversion rule: how to switch oil and butter?

Just a moment ago, I was making muffins. The recipe calls for 125ml oil. As a footnote, it says that you can replace the oil with 125g butter. Can you do so in every recipe (not just muffins or ...
5
votes
1answer
127 views

Why do fatty foods go with sour ones?

Why do fatty foods tend to go with acids? Mayonnaise and hollandaise contain lemon juice, and fatty fish tends to be served with lemon. Barbecue pork and pork belly are sometimes served with a ...
7
votes
3answers
609 views

How can I efficiently render 100 lbs of suet into tallow in a home kitchen?

As I mentioned in another question, I'm about to undergo a 100 lb suet-to-tallow rendering process. The problem is, as much as I love tallow, I've never rendered suet myself before and I have a ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views

Can I store suet or home-rendered tallow at room temperature for a year?

This weekend I will be in possession of 100 lbs of beef suet (which I'll be getting from a butcher friend) and plan to render it into tallow. I can't even begin to imagine exactly what this amount of ...
5
votes
1answer
281 views

Keep or remove skin when grinding poultry?

After reading this I made "burgers" with ground chicken thigh. (Didn't have turkey thighs handy.) I have the feeling chicken thighs have plenty of fat, so less likely to dry out than turkey, but it ...
6
votes
7answers
13k views

Which oils or fats make the crispiest roast potatoes?

Which oil or fat is the best option for crispy on the outside fluffy on the inside roast potatoes?
11
votes
4answers
931 views

Does preparation of food change the nutritional content with respect to fat type?

I apologize in advance for my lack of knowledge in how a fat comes to be saturated, and perhaps therein lies the answer to this question. However, due to my wife's gall stones I need to remove hard to ...
3
votes
5answers
4k views

Is all sausage considered a “Processed Meat”?

Over the years, I've read a lot of health information that says processed meats are some of the worst foods for you from a fat, sodium, and nitrate intake perspective. Then I read that Sausage is a ...
3
votes
2answers
265 views

What is the source of the very strong flavour in some bad fats (or dairy products?) that only some people can taste?

It's a very, very strong flavour (like hot chili peppers in potency and ability to linger). It tastes nothing like any food I know - I've thought of it as kind of "chalky" (not sure why I know what ...
11
votes
7answers
15k views

How do you properly drain the grease after browning ground beef?

Whenever I try to drain the grease from the pan after I have browned ground beef, I always end up spilling a little here and there. I usually just take a spoon and "spoon out" the grease into a bowl. ...
4
votes
2answers
349 views

Is there a technique for making larger batches of roux?

Following along the approach of freezing roux, I would like to make some in bulk. I am also trying to do more batch cooking for freezing and making 8 quarts of mac and cheese ends up taking a lot of ...
3
votes
1answer
97 views

What's the correct way to store fats?

What are the decision parameters, when you have rendered fat to store? Glass or plastic? Refrigerated or not? I'm not looking for long-term storage; just what's the best-practice way to store it for ...
3
votes
2answers
705 views

Minimum amount of fat in Roux

Most (all) recipes I know talk about 50/50 butter/flour for roux. However, at home I'm using something like a 40/60 butter/flour mix. It's thicker, but it works. Does anybody know what the absolute ...
11
votes
1answer
26k views

Can I always use butter instead of margarine when baking?

Some recipes says use butter or margarine, some say use butter and some say use margarine. My question is, can I always use butter or does margarine have some property that butter doesn't when baking? ...
5
votes
2answers
774 views

Substituting with Bacon and Bacon Fat in a Recipe

I've been thinking about throwing cooked bacon into various recipes like candy and bread. Are there any general guidelines for adjusting the recipes for handling this addition? For example, should I ...
14
votes
2answers
797 views

The science of confit

In recent weeks I have made both duck leg and pork belly confit with rich tasting and great texture results. I want to experiment with this technique further but to do so, and avoid wasting meat and ...
38
votes
3answers
17k views

Why can applesauce be used in place of oil?

In many recipes, mostly desserts, it is suggested that you can substitute oil with applesauce to reduce the fat content. But why applesauce? Is there something special about applesauce or are there ...

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