Reusing pork belly and bacon oil

[hlat]

After baking pork belly and bacon at 350F/177C, I've been straining and saving the oil into a glass container. I've noticed that the oil separates into a liquid clear yellow top layer and a thick creamy white opaque bottom layer. Is there something wrong with either layer? Should I only re-use 1 of the layers? I only reuse the oil once. I've been reusing the top liquid layer and throwing away the bottom thick layer, and I'm wondering if I'm doing it wrong.

 

[mkrnhr]

I haven't kept the fat after cooking but a priori, after it cools down, the solid part is what should be used because it's saturated fat. I could be mistaken of course.

 

[LQB]

I would reverse that hlat. The congealed white layer should be mostly saturated fat. Why you get much liquid on top, I'm not sure.

I have a ten year experiment with bacon fat going on. I always cook bacon in a large pot of bacon fat. When the pot is too full of bacon fat, I pour (and filter) it off in 5 gal pails. 12years ago I poured this off in jars and stored them in a closed cupboard and just let them sit for all these years. All the fat congeals to a white paste, never grows anything, and never has a bad smell - just white paste. The only time that I get a liquid is if I tried to cook something other than bacon in the pot. For years now, I only cook bacon in that pot.

 

[hlat]

I haven't kept the fat after cooking but a priori, after it cools down, the solid part is what should be used because it's saturated fat. I could be mistaken of course.

I would reverse that hlat. The congealed white layer should be mostly saturated fat. Why you get much liquid on top, I'm not sure.

Thank you. I had a hunch I was doing something wrong. Liquid part is going in the trash now.

 

[Fluffy]

Thank you. I had a hunch I was doing something wrong. Liquid part is going in the trash now.

I would concur, I’ve noticed than when I cook chicken most of the fat from it stays liquid with only a small amount going solid, it occurs to me now that the liquid fat is mostly PUFA with some small amount of omega 3 and the solid fat is saturated.

 

[nicklebleu]

The liquid layer is just water that naturally seeps out of the meat. If you put the bacon fat after filtering it in the fridge, then the two layers separate. The upper layer is the fat and you can lift this (harder) fat layer off the liquid easily. That’s how I do it anyway -easy way to separate and ‘purify’ the fat.

 

[irjO]

I have a pot which I use for the week to cook purely bacon. The fat stays there and usually after cooking, I use a spoon to remove just any bacon residual, but I don’t refrigerate the fat, I leave it there and I seal the pot completely after using it, it’s basically always on the oven, I clean it completely on Sundays.

 

[Mari]

After baking pork belly and bacon at 350F/177C, I've been straining and saving the oil into a glass container. I've noticed that the oil separates into a liquid clear yellow top layer and a thick creamy white opaque bottom layer. Is there something wrong with either layer? Should I only re-use 1 of the layers? I only reuse the oil once. I've been reusing the top liquid layer and throwing away the bottom thick layer, and I'm wondering if I'm doing it wrong.

Here is a quick video how pork fat/lard is usually made

In my country, you omit scallions, ginger, water, etc. - fat is done simply out of pure fresh pork belly and eventually salt (it all depends on a region).
After you´ve collected the fat, it starts cooling down and slowly/eventually it comes together into a buttery consistency - that is the white part on the bottom. Eventually, it looks like this:

So, the top part is simply the part that haven´t yet "solidified", and both are equally good. You store it in a dark and cold place and it can last a year or more, if stored properly. When it goes bad, you will notice it changes the smell.

What is not shown in the video is that you leave the pork belly in there to fry until it turns completely golden brown. After collecting the liquid fat from the pot, you then also squeeze extra fat from the golden parts as well (best use something like this), and then you end up with both fat and delicious crunchy cracklings! You simply salt them and eat them as a snack.

Edit: clarity

 

[iamthatis]

The C's mentioned recently that reusing fat is not a good idea. Am I correct in interpreting from below that reusing the fat ONCE is what they were getting at here? If so, the bacon pot method that some are advocating here may not be the best.

Session 18 May 2024​

(Chu) What about the cooking alterations when you fry with lard or tallow? Which one is better?

A: A mix would be ideal.

Q: (Joe) 50/50?

A: Yes

Q: (Chu) And reusing the fats is bad?

A: Yes

Q: (Andromeda) Even bacon fat?

A: No

Q: (Andromeda) I knew it!

(L) That's because it's freshly rendered.

A: Yes

 

[Mari]

The C's mentioned recently that reusing fat is not a good idea. Am I correct in interpreting from below that reusing the fat ONCE is what they were getting at here? If so, the bacon pot method that some are advocating here may not be the best.

I´m aware of that quote and I thought that means that once you have the fat/lard, you use it once.

I don´t know of any other method of extracting fat from pork belly except for "melting" it in a pot (as described in my post above).
So, do you think that the process should be i.e. to buy pork belly, chop it in the small pieces, put it in a freezer or fridge, and then when you want to cook/bake/fry something, you first "melt" the pork in a pot/pan and then add in the meat (or whatever)? I should work...

 

[Mytja]

In my country, you omit scallions, ginger, water, etc. - fat is done simply out of pure fresh pork belly and eventually salt (it all depends on a region).

Just a heads-up that traditionally as a rule milk is also used, especially for cracklings. I have found none in the commercial shops that didn't have milk as an ingredient on their declarations. FWIW.

 

[Jenn]

I don't reuse lard if it reaches the smoke point because the fat has likely oxidized and generated toxic byproducts. Lard seems to be less affected than other fats but it's still something I try to avoid. If it hasn't reached the smoking point I reuse it a few more times, then discard it. See here for more info.

And from ChatGPT:

Formation of Toxic Compounds​

• Aldehydes and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): When lard is overheated, it produces aldehydes and PAHs. These compounds have been linked to increased risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation.
• Specifically, prolonged heating of lard past its smoke point (about 190°C/374°F) encourages the production of various aldehydes, ketones, and volatile organic compounds, many of which are potentially harmful when inhaled or ingested. These compounds include acrolein, malondialdehyde (MDA), and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), which are known for their toxic and carcinogenic properties.
• Free Radicals: These are highly reactive molecules that can damage cells, proteins, and DNA, contributing to oxidative stress and inflammation, which are implicated in aging and various diseases, including cancer.

After baking pork belly and bacon at 350F/177C, I've been straining and saving the oil into a glass container. I've noticed that the oil separates into a liquid clear yellow top layer and a thick creamy white opaque bottom layer. Is there something wrong with either layer? Should I only re-use 1 of the layers? I only reuse the oil once. I've been reusing the top liquid layer and throwing away the bottom thick layer, and I'm wondering if I'm doing it wrong.

I wonder if it is the cooking juices separating from the fat (the lard being the bottom layer), can you take a picture?