Fats

thelawnet

Hello!

I thought I would start a thread about fat. (including oil)

What is everyone's favourite?

I like sesame oil. It varies a lot in price, if you buy it in the supermarket it's sold in tiny bottles for quite a lot of money, but when I've bought it in the Chinese supermarket it comes in a nice big bottle (750ml) for about £2. You have to be careful though because a lot of them are about half soy oil, half sesame oil. I only buy pure.

Sesame oil is used for stir fries - not for cooking in so much, but if you add it when it's cooked, it adds a toasted nutty flavour that is far pronounced than if you add it before for cooking. It's also good for many oriental marinades.

whatatwit

Butter...especially Lurpak.

But, as I'm trying to lose some weight, I'm only using the least amount possible of fat in anything.....boo, hiss.

thelawnet

i like butter, but I hate that so many brands now sell 'spreadable' blended with vegetable oil. Like Anchor Spreadable. It has the same branding and packaging as butter, but in the small print says 'a blend of butter and vegetable oil'. It's just margarine. I think Lurpak also do this.

I don't dislike fat at all, I just don't like unnatural ones, like margarine.

Kerrygold's spreadable product is actually pure butter, just churned differently to be softer. So is the Marks and Spencer spreadable butter.

whatatwit

I know what you mean about the *spreadable* ones, if I want something that will spread on bread, then I buy something like Bertolli, No idea what's in it, but it's ok to feed to the family.

At least with proper solid butter, you have to slice it for toast or crumpets.

(oh no, i'm feeling hungry now)

thelawnet

whatatwit wrote: »

I know what you mean about the *spreadable* ones, if I want something that will spread on bread, then I buy something like Bertolli, No idea what's in it, but it's ok to feed to the family.

At least with proper solid butter, you have to slice it for toast or crumpets.

(oh no, i'm feeling hungry now)

mmm. I'm stuffed, just knocking back the 25%-off Sainsbury's wine.

I roasted a Mey Selections bone-in beef rib on my bbq, rubbed with rub of horseradish, an entire crushed garlic bulb, and mustard, with wood chips for extra smoke, and chorizo sausages between the rib, with sweet potatoes, potatoes, and parsnips, all roasted in duck/goose fat (nice, but SOOOO expensive, £3 for a jar: you can get a whole duck for that sometimes) and rosemary, plus boiled broad beans and carrots. Rather stuffed after all that, but my wife has just cut up a Pakistani mango, so I had that as well.... Shouldn't eat so much really.

vixtress

thelawnet wrote: »

mmm. I'm stuffed, just knocking back the 25%-off Sainsbury's wine.

I roasted a Mey Selections bone-in beef rib on my bbq, rubbed with rub of horseradish, an entire crushed garlic bulb, and mustard, with wood chips for extra smoke, and chorizo sausages between the rib, with sweet potatoes, potatoes, and parsnips, all roasted in duck/goose fat (nice, but SOOOO expensive, £3 for a jar: you can get a whole duck for that sometimes) and rosemary, plus boiled broad beans and carrots. Rather stuffed after all that, but my wife has just cut up a Pakistani mango, so I had that as well.... Shouldn't eat so much really.

do you have a spare room, i could move in tomorrow

thelawnet

vixtress wrote: »

do you have a spare room, i could move in tomorrow

tomorrow is lamb shanks I think.....

any good recipes?

obviously needs a long cooking time till it's falling off the bone. Maybe a kleftiko???? I've never made that.

randomtask_2

I use Olive Oil mostly, sometimes butter for things like eggs and certain potato dishes. For more industrial frying, I'd go for corn oil.

As someone from oriental descent, I also use (toasted) sesame oil. However my father has never ever fried with it, using it only with dressing and for flavouring. And he's a pretty good home cook. You have to be careful with sesame oil (and groundnut oil which is common in chinese cuisine) if you cook for anyone with a strong nut allergy too.

thriftlady_2

Butter is my favourite fat for its versatility -baking, spreading, frying. It has to be home produced, preferably English like me but Welsh and Scottish is OK too .

I also like olive oil for some frying and salad dressings, and goose or duck fat for roast potatoes and lard for pastry (half and half with butter).

I don't cook with groundnut or sesame oil because my dd is allergic to nuts --thanks Randfomtask