Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
It is not straightforward, but you can make a fat emulsion while cooking meat in it. I have not totally figured this out yet, but when done properly the fat becomes cloudy and thickens, and becomes much more palatable. Rather like a thick strong broth. I think with the right spices the "strong" part can be mitigated. Every time I add too much salt! I think it is the emulsified water which cuts the strength; with too little water the fat may be too strong. I think there is an optimal fat to water ratio for taste, and a right amount of emulsifier required to stabilize it.
When I do this I use just half a stick of butter (55g or 4 tablespoons) and 100g of meat in a 8" cast iron pan. I have seen it happen with plenty of veggies in the pan as well. I guess it is possible the meat proteins could cause the emulsion but this has not been my so far limited experience. I think it needs a bit of very fine powder spice, which turmeric seems to work well for; cumin will work but you need way too much of it to emulsify all the fat. I think salt needs to be added at the very beginning. The trick is to add water a while cooking so that it boils up through the oil. Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. Tilt the pan to distribute the water around but only mix gently or you will break the emulsion. The temperature should be too low for crackling and sizzling; if too high the water will boil too vigorously and an emulsion cannot form. The boiling water should be more like a foam, and not cause a lot of movement of the oil. If you look you will be able to see the bubbles opacifying the oil. If the temperature is low enough, the water will slowly evaporate and the oil will become cloudy. To maintain the emulsion, the temperature must remain low. If the water boils too fast the oil will clear up and the suspended substances will clump together. There seems to be a point where the water is fully emulsified and resists evaporating from the oil, but raising temperature will cause the water to evaporate (fat rendering instructions are to boil to 250F to expel all water from the fat). The emulsifiers may singe at the bottom of the pan after which they no longer can emulsify the fat. It is okay if there are occasional surface oil splotches, and the cloudiness may be inconsistent. At this point the oil will be slightly thicker, or perhaps even viscous if you did something well, but usually more like a slightly thickened broth. The fat should still be emulsified after boiling stops. As it cools it will thicken more and it will develop a slight film over the top.
It is not straightforward, but you can make a fat emulsion while cooking meat in it. I have not totally figured this out yet, but when done properly the fat becomes cloudy and thickens, and becomes much more palatable. Rather like a thick strong broth. I think with the right spices the "strong" part can be mitigated. Every time I add too much salt! I think it is the emulsified water which cuts the strength; with too little water the fat may be too strong. I think there is an optimal fat to water ratio for taste, and a right amount of emulsifier required to stabilize it.
When I do this I use just half a stick of butter (55g or 4 tablespoons) and 100g of meat in a 8" cast iron pan. I have seen it happen with plenty of veggies in the pan as well. I guess it is possible the meat proteins could cause the emulsion but this has not been my so far limited experience. I think it needs a bit of very fine powder spice, which turmeric seems to work well for; cumin will work but you need way too much of it to emulsify all the fat. I think salt needs to be added at the very beginning. The trick is to add water a while cooking so that it boils up through the oil. Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. Tilt the pan to distribute the water around but only mix gently or you will break the emulsion. The temperature should be too low for crackling and sizzling; if too high the water will boil too vigorously and an emulsion cannot form. The boiling water should be more like a foam, and not cause a lot of movement of the oil. If you look you will be able to see the bubbles opacifying the oil. If the temperature is low enough, the water will slowly evaporate and the oil will become cloudy. To maintain the emulsion, the temperature must remain low. If the water boils too fast the oil will clear up and the suspended substances will clump together. There seems to be a point where the water is fully emulsified and resists evaporating from the oil, but raising temperature will cause the water to evaporate (fat rendering instructions are to boil to 250F to expel all water from the fat). The emulsifiers may singe at the bottom of the pan after which they no longer can emulsify the fat. It is okay if there are occasional surface oil splotches, and the cloudiness may be inconsistent. At this point the oil will be slightly thicker, or perhaps even viscous if you did something well, but usually more like a slightly thickened broth. The fat should still be emulsified after boiling stops. As it cools it will thicken more and it will develop a slight film over the top.
