Butter, oil or bacon juice?

SmokenFire · Dec 14, 2017

FreeportBum said:
I pour it into a container and let it harden. for me all the little bits settle to the bottom.

same.

also I find very little difference in flavor with a oil or butter or ghee based roux - they all pretty much taste the same. roux made with bacon grease/drippings/schmaltz however is more flavorful imo.

while on the topic, anyone ever slowly crisp fry chicken skin over low heat in order to enjoy a lovely product I like to call chicken bacon?

Hybrid Mode 01 · Dec 15, 2017

Whenever I save bacon fat, I just pour it into a jar and refrigerate it. I don't filter it or anything either. Good to know I don't have to do that in order to make a roux with it.

SmokenFire said:
while on the topic, anyone ever slowly crisp fry chicken skin over low heat in order to enjoy a lovely product I like to call chicken bacon?

Not quite the same, but basted skin roasting at 450 does kind of the same thing.

Better than bacon!

t0mato · Dec 17, 2017

Butter has always worked the best for me because there's always some butter on the counter. Just cut off a chunk and throw it in the pot.

dragonsfire · Dec 17, 2017

Its hard to beat butter, it changes the taste for the better even if you dont taste butter, Bacon the next best flavour influence.

Rairdog · Dec 17, 2017

I use oil and the microwave...i know but it tastes better than jarred to me. I can get it darker in the micro and prep other things without standing over the black skillet trying not to burn the flour for a half hour.

Alpaca Punch · Dec 26, 2017

SmokenFire said:
Any fat can be used for a roux. I use butter and bacon grease as that's what'is normally quick to hand in our house. Have a friend who swears by safflower oil for his roux because of the smoking point as he's usually after a darker roux.

Same here - usually butter about 2/3rds of the time, if not that then bacon fat. Never considered safflower oil but will use some next time I want a dark roux.

salsalady · Dec 26, 2017

Hybrid Mode 01 said:
Shit after reading this thread I really need to try a bacon fat roux! Do you guys filter the fat to get the flavor crystals out? Do they burn?

FreeportBum said:
I pour it into a container and let it harden. for me all the little bits settle to the bottom.

Meat fats rock for roux!

Back in the restaurant days, We cooked 5 pounds of tarheel sausage, separated the grease to measure the amount and filled it out with butter for making our own creamy sausage gravy for B&G. We also cooked off 5 pounds of bacon and filled out with butter for a Sunday Special bacon gravy.

Never filter the grease for the gravy, all them crusty bit is moar good stuff!!!

There are family stories of white bread fried in bacon grease with a few eggs (more than 2!) for breakfast back in Merthyr Tydfil. My mom kept a soup can with a brush in it next to the stove. Not refrigerated. Cook bacon, pour off the grease into the can. Brush the CI skillet for pancakes or eggs. Repeat as needed. Pretty sure that can was in use for at least 20+ years.....

and mom cooked eggs in a cast iron skillet with bacon grease......

and to rairdog...."I use oil and the microwave..." HERETIC!!!! BURN AT THE STAKE!!! Tar and FEATHER!!!! STONE!!!! Okay, maybe not.....

Well, lucky we are living in the new and enlightened era where all methods of cooking can co-exist. Imagine if the same tolerance and acceptance could be extended to things like.... (edit...delete..nevermind...) :cool:

Blessings to rairdog and may all your rouxs be brown! (or blond), (or medium brown) (or dark brown...?!?!???)

:cheers:

SL

Edmick · Dec 27, 2017

Bottom line, If it tastes good, eat it!

austin87 · Dec 27, 2017

I came to chime in with sausage grease for sausage gravy but salsalady beat me to it. I usually use butter, have also used bacon grease, lard, tallow, and the leftover chicken fat grease from cooking chicken thighs (almost schmaltz).

My friend's family cooks a goose every year for Christmas and he swears that the goose fat gravy is in fact the tastiest of all gravies.

Personally I wouldn't use oil unless it was all I had, I think most any other natural fat that is solid at room temperature (no shortening or hydrogenated oil garbage) would be better than oil.

Does make think that coconut oil (solid at room temperature) might be interesting as a base for a Thai and/or curry inspired gravy...

texas blues · Jan 1, 2018

Bacon grease for the poor.

Vegetable oil for the masses.

Duck fat for the elite.

And then theres butter.

Fry a single egg the way you like it.

In bacon grease.

Vegetable oil.

Duck fat.

Butter.

Which one rocks it for you?

I love bacon.

But a butter fried egg kicks the most ass.

With duck fat fried potatos.

But be careful with duck fat.

Using it is like riding the dragon and smoking opium.

Splooge bacon grease for family.

Olive oil for friends.

Duck fat is for date night.

Butter comes into play later on in date night.

As if I was so fortunate.

Rymerpt · Jan 4, 2018

Meat drippings mostly

Butter for my white sauce mother sauce

Beacon works great

Sausage works great

I don't do from oil because it lacks the taste for me

Salsa lady said it best though in her post. Sure would like some of those biscuts and gravy.

jhc · Jan 14, 2018

Oil is authentic. If you think oil-based roux lacks flavor maybe it's because you haven't cooked the roux long enough. Butter is fine but harder to use when making a dark cajun roux - you need to use some heat or else you're sitting there stirring the night away, and non-clarified butter can burn. Rendered animal fat is my favorite.