Uses for meat fat???

[Hammock Hamster]

Hi all,

Me and swmbo are going on a bit of a health kick and have just bought a George Forman grill!

Been very impressed with it and it actually cooks a lot quicker than a normal grill or oven!

Anyway that wasn't the reason for this post, basically the grill allows all the fat from cooking meet to run off into a receptacle and I have been saving this up in a jar (beef, bacon, chicken and lamb fat so far).
What I want to know is are there any uses for this kind of fat in a bushcraft or historical living context?
I have thought maybe some kind of torch or lamp but not really sure how to go about it.

Cheers, Hamster

 

[Adze]

Tallow candles perhaps? Might be a bit stinkier than parafin wax ones.

 

[Toddy]

I have some Tom Bear made and they are beautifully white, burn very, very cleanly with a good bright flame and have virtually no smell. He did go to some effort though to purify as well as possible. Generally tallow candles are sooty, smelly and a bit of a mess.

Simplest would be to fill a jar with the fat with a wick down the centre and let it burn that way. But it'll smell like burning fat, and if you don't clarify it first, it'll stink.
You could make rush lights from it. Very traditional use for left over fat. Big thick rush in the centre of the candle jat might do ?

I think to be honest, I'd add loads of seeds and make fat cakes for the birds.

atb,
Toddy

 

[santaman2000]

As an accelerant for fire starting outdoors. Pout it over your firewoodwood or kindling/tender. Also over your charcoal when you use a normal grill.

 

[Toddy]

bet your neighbours love you

cheers,
M

 

[santaman2000]

LOL. Actually it's not any smellier than the commercial charcoal starter fluid. I suspect the neighbors do get envious a bit later though when they begin to smell the steaks cooking or the brisket smoking. But any type of BBQ is a common smell this time of year so it works both ways

 

[Jared]

Could try making soap.

Hmmm bacon soap

 

[Toddy]

I hate BBQ season Stench of burning meat, smelly sooty smoke as they get the coals burning.....waste of a good meal tbh. as people try to be 'real'

Sorry, hearty sceptic here....and I like fire, real fire, but I reckon suburbia is the wrong place for BBQ's.

cheers,
M

 

[santaman2000]

I hate BBQ season Stench of burning meat, smelly sooty smoke as they get the coals burning.....waste of a good meal tbh. as people try to be 'real'

Sorry, hearty sceptic here....and I like fire, real fire, but I reckon suburbia is the wrong place for BBQ's.

cheers,
M

It does seem incongruous doen't it? Yet ironically BBQ is the very symbol of suburbia. Or at least outdoor grilling, though most have abandonned charcoal for gas grills now.

 

[Toddy]

Wish they had round here
I don't see why not cook it properly in the kitchen and then picnic outdoors, but without much covered outdoor storage space most folks don't buy gas bbq's because they rust to a filthy mess over Winter.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[mrcairney]

Blacksmiths used Lamb fat traditionally to quench. I've not tried it yet though. I will.

 

[Andy BB]

soap? Bit of fire ash, bit of fat - instant lye....

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Hi all,

Me and swmbo are going on a bit of a health kick

Better stop the beef, lamb & bacon then


it's delicious Spead on toast & of course sauté potatoes cooked in animal fat are out of this world..........you could freeze it then give it to the birds in the autumn & winter.

 

[santaman2000]

Wish they had round here
I don't see why not cook it properly in the kitchen and then picnic outdoors...

Ironically (again) most BBQers over here seem to cook it outdoors then eant indoors. I don't really see the point though if using a gas grill cause as you said it's not really different from cooking indoors. When I cook outdoors I always use proper hickory or mesquite. The main heat might come from charcoal but the smoke must come from real wood. That's the problem with cooking indoors; you cain't smoke anything properly.

 

[Harvestman]

Traditionally things like cooked goose meat (legs, shredded breast etc) were stored in jars mixed in with the fat from the bird. Once sealed it keeps well, and the meat is very moist and tender when later fished out. I would imagine this would work with any sort of meat.

Not low fat though.