How to Choose the Right Cooking Fat
Use beef fat and ghee for frying., Try chicken fat., Bake with butter., Use lard for a variety of things.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use beef fat and ghee for frying.
Because beef fat (also known as beef tallow) and ghee have high smoke points, they are great for frying, searing, pan frying, and sautéing food.
Because the flavor of beef fat is strong, you should only use it for beef and vegetable dishes as opposed to chicken or fish dishes.The smoke point of beef fat is 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius).
Ghee's smoke point is 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius). -
Step 2: Try chicken fat.
Chicken fat has a lower smoke point than beef fat and ghee, but it is still relatively high (375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius).
Therefore, use it for sautéing, pan frying, stir-frying, and medium to high-heating cooking.
Chicken fat also has great flavor.
Therefore, use it in dishes that you would like to give a boost of flavor to like vegetable dishes and soups.You can use chicken fat as a substitute for butter in roux.
Try making chicken pot pie with chicken fat. , Because butter has a relatively low smoke point (350 degrees Fahrenheit/175 degrees Celsius), you do not want to use it for high-heat cooking like frying and searing.
However, butter is great for baking and sautéing, and for making roux and soups.Instead of using butter to sear meats like steak and chicken, baste the meats in butter just before they finish cooking. , Lard is a versatile fat that can be used for frying, searing, sautéing, pan frying, and stir-frying.Contrary to popular belief, lard does not have a strong pork flavor, it has a neutral flavor.
Therefore, lard can be used to make baked goods, pastries and pie crusts.
It can also be used as a substitute for butter on toast and in roux.Lard's smoke point is 370 degrees Fahrenheit (185 degrees Celsius), so it can be used for medium to high-heating cooking. -
Step 3: Bake with butter.
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Step 4: Use lard for a variety of things.
Detailed Guide
Because beef fat (also known as beef tallow) and ghee have high smoke points, they are great for frying, searing, pan frying, and sautéing food.
Because the flavor of beef fat is strong, you should only use it for beef and vegetable dishes as opposed to chicken or fish dishes.The smoke point of beef fat is 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius).
Ghee's smoke point is 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius).
Chicken fat has a lower smoke point than beef fat and ghee, but it is still relatively high (375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius).
Therefore, use it for sautéing, pan frying, stir-frying, and medium to high-heating cooking.
Chicken fat also has great flavor.
Therefore, use it in dishes that you would like to give a boost of flavor to like vegetable dishes and soups.You can use chicken fat as a substitute for butter in roux.
Try making chicken pot pie with chicken fat. , Because butter has a relatively low smoke point (350 degrees Fahrenheit/175 degrees Celsius), you do not want to use it for high-heat cooking like frying and searing.
However, butter is great for baking and sautéing, and for making roux and soups.Instead of using butter to sear meats like steak and chicken, baste the meats in butter just before they finish cooking. , Lard is a versatile fat that can be used for frying, searing, sautéing, pan frying, and stir-frying.Contrary to popular belief, lard does not have a strong pork flavor, it has a neutral flavor.
Therefore, lard can be used to make baked goods, pastries and pie crusts.
It can also be used as a substitute for butter on toast and in roux.Lard's smoke point is 370 degrees Fahrenheit (185 degrees Celsius), so it can be used for medium to high-heating cooking.
About the Author
Debra Burns
Brings years of experience writing about cooking and related subjects.
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