Suet

flyinglentris

flyinglentris

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I think that if a member were to pick Suet as a recipe challenge ingredient, most of us would freak. But what do I know on an International Cooking Website?

Does anybody actually use Suet in their cooking?
 
flyinglentris said:
I think that if a member were to pick Suet as a recipe challenge ingredient, most of us would freak. But what do I know on an International Cooking Website?

Does anybody actually use Suet in their cooking?
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Yes of course I do! Its a great ingredient. Suet is no 'worse' for you than than 'bacon drippings' which are not used in the UK but are in the US. You can make fantastic dumplings and steamed sweet and savoury puddings. You can buy vegetarian suet in the UK quite easily too.

And yes I would also use lard. Again, lard is no worse than those 'drippings'. Its all a question of moderation. It used to be thought butter was bad yet now its not (according to which reports you choose to read).

Suet is a first rate ingredient. And I know that Burt Blank will agree!
 
Morning Glory said:
Yes of course I do! Its a great ingredient. Suet is no 'worse' for you than than 'bacon drippings' which are not used in the UK but are in the US. You can make fantastic dumplings and steamed sweet and savoury puddings. You can buy vegetarian suet in the UK quite easily too.

And yes I would also use lard. Again, lard is no worse than those 'drippings'. Its all a question of moderation. It used to be thought butter was bad yet now its not (according to which reports you choose to read).

Suet is a first rate ingredient. And I know that Burt Blank will agree!
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Well, you got me on this. I look at Suet and Lard like some people shun Mushrooms because they look gooey. I'm one of those people who would freak.
 
flyinglentris said:
Well, you got me on this. I look at Suet and Lard like some people shun Mushrooms because they look gooey. I'm one of those people who would freak.
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If suet its good enough for Michelin starred chefs and was good enough for my old gran then its good enough for me. From one of my favourite Michelin starred chefs:

Venison Saddle Recipe with Suet Pudding - Great British Chefs

Daniel Clifford's slow-cooked venison saddle is served with individual suet puddings filled with red wine sauce. They are nicely flattered by the sharp choucroute and a silky, sweet carrot purée.
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54092
 
Mind, I am not the type to trim the Fat off Steaks, Pork or Lamb, because I know that fat contributes to flavor. But I do trim away the really thick hard Suet and toss it. Bacon always has lots of fat, but it is not Suet.

Finally, if I have choice between Lard and an Oil, and I always do, I go with the Oil.
 
flyinglentris said:
TastyReuben , please share your Lard usage. I take it, even if you persist in using Lard, do you use Suet?
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Suet is harder to come by here, meaning I can get lard off the shelf, but I have to actually talk to the butcher to get suet, so I don't use suet. I think suet is used in the UK in some meat pie recipes, like there are certain variations that insist on suet, though I could be wrong.

Number One use for lard...pie crust. If I'm making pie crust from scratch, I'm using lard.

Number Two is pan-fried chicken. If I really want to go all-out, I use lard.

When we were kids, Mom popped popcorn in lard. I haven't done that yet, but the next time I plan to use lard, I'll give it a shot.

I've used it in biscuits and just frying in general when I have it on hand. It's not something I have all the time.

This might make you queasy - we grew up eating it on bread, like bread and butter. Not much different than how Germans eat schmaltz.
 
I keep bacon drippings and have no problem with lard. I don't use it because it is not in the house and I never think to buy it. I would be fine with suet if I knew how to prepare and use it.
Way back, when fried turkey first became popular, I would go to the slaughter house and buy a 5 gallon bucket of lard. THAT was fried turkey the way it was intended to be. Now we "fry" turkey in an infrared Big Easy cooker.
If I baked and made pies I would probably use lard. The same with fried chicken, a technique I have never mastered. :hyper: OMG a southern woman admitting that she can not fry chicken! Blasphemy!!
 
TastyReuben said:
Suet is harder to come by here, meaning I can get lard off the shelf, but I have to actually talk to the butcher to get suet, so I don't use suet. I think suet is used in the UK in some meat pie recipes, like there are certain variations that insist on suet, though I could be wrong.

Number One use for lard...pie crust. If I'm making pie crust from scratch, I'm using lard.

Number Two is pan-fried chicken. If I really want to go all-out, I use lard.

When we were kids, Mom popped popcorn in lard. I haven't done that yet, but the next time I plan to use lard, I'll give it a shot.

I've used it in biscuits and just frying in general when I have it on hand. It's not something I have all the time.

This might make you queasy - we grew up eating it on bread, like bread and butter. Not much different than how Germans eat schmaltz.
Click to expand...

Suet is not something commonly found at the grocery store here, but lard (Manteca) is. It is used a lot in Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking. From basic things like tortillas, which are made with lard, to authentic carnitas, which is pork shoulder slow cooked in lard.

BTW, whenever I hear someone from the UK pronounce tortillas, I cringe. The double-L is pronounced like the later Y, and the I is pronounced like the letter E. Tor-Tea-Yas. They are used to make Tah-Kos. :D :whistling: Not trying to sound superior -- I live in a State where 33-percent of the population is Latino, so these words are used every day.

CD
 
A big yes to suet and lard here too :okay:

I mostly use suet for pie pastry (suet pastry is very easy to make and turns out lovely and flaky), though I do use it for dumplings too. I rarely use vegetable oils so I use lard if I need to fry meat. I also sometimes add it to burgers if the meat is too lean.
 
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