After browning beef and draining, how do you dispose of the fat?
When I was a kid my mother would always poor it into an extra tin can and throw it out. So that is what I always do.
The reason is that if you poor it down the sink it will emulsify and build up to eventually clog the sink, causing ongoing hassles. Fat is not a very good conductor of heat too, so once it cools down it will not get washed away with hot water.
Is there an easier way to dispose of the fat? I hate been forced to cook a can of something each time i need to brown beef.
I also put it down the drain, right when I’m washing the pan anyway, so hot water keeps going down the drain as I wash, and I’ve never had a clogging problem.
My father used to always save it and had jars of solid fat hanging around. When he didn’t re-use them or when he got too many or if the were too old, he’d just throw the whole jar in the trash.
[quote]Chickenmcnug wrote:
After browning beef and draining, how do you dispose of the fat?
When I was a kid my mother would always poor it into an extra tin can and throw it out. So that is what I always do.
The reason is that if you poor it down the sink it will emulsify and build up to eventually clog the sink, causing ongoing hassles. Fat is not a very good conductor of heat too, so once it cools down it will not get washed away with hot water.
Is there an easier way to dispose of the fat? I hate been forced to cook a can of something each time i need to brown beef.[/quote]
This is the proper way to dispose of it. If you flush it down the drain, it might clog your pipes. Even if it never causes YOU any problems, it can cause problems downstream. Put it in something, let it cool, and throw it in the garbage.
Why dispose of it at all? Beef and pork fat are both great for cooking with or adding flavor to otherwise bland foods. Just do like you’ve been doing, pour the fat off into a can or a jar and keep it in the fridge or freezer. Next time you go to fry something, add a little bit of the emulsified fat to the pan (not a ton, just a little bit in addition to the olive oil or whatever you’re using to fry). It’ll add a lot of flavor.
Also great for boosting canned soups or sauces, which I find to be rather boring sometimes. Note that the fat will eventually go rancid so you want to throw the can/jar out every once in a while and start a new one.