You know how I'm always annoyed with Sean for acting like he knows everything about cooking when in reality, he's making half of it up?It turns out he does know more than me.
We were cooking a few weeks ago and he casually mentions to me, "Hey, did you know you're never supposed to pour grease down the drain?"
And I'm like, "Nope. What are you talking about?"
And he's like, "Oh yeah. My mom told me that. You're not supposed to do it ever because the grease clogs the drain. Everybody knows that."
At this point in the story, I'd imagine you're trying to comprehend how I'm the person who didn't know that. Seriously, I have NEVER heard this. EVER.
So I go to the Google machine and I look it up and come across hundreds, nay thousands, of links about how everyone knew this but me. I thought I'd write about it in case one of you, dear readers, did not know.
But here's the sticky point about all this. I read that apparently you are supposed to pour your grease into a container, like a jar, and then throw the jar away (or sometimes hold onto it for further use in cooking).
So I ask you this: How come I have never seen someone do this in their own home? I cannot recall a single instance in which I've come across jars and jars of grease on someone's countertop or in their trash can. Seriously, where are you all hiding your grease?!
I'm sorry to say the "no grease" thing has slipped my mind since Sean first mentioned it, and I'd imagine I have a day of reckoning in my future. But in the effort of becoming domesticated, I'd like your advice.
Where do I put the grease? What am I supposed to do with it? What's the best, most handy trick you've come up with?
9 comments:
This makes me giggle. Don't worry, someone had to tell me too!
Ok this might be gross, but I don't always have a jar or can handy. Sooo I let the grease congeal in the pan or whatever. Then I wipe out the grease with some paper towels and throw the whole mess in the trash can.
Okay, that makes way more sense. I didn't think everyone was canning grease.
I do what Diane said, usually. However, you can strain hot bacon grease and store it in the fridge or freezer for future use. Use it when cooking veggies, frying eggs, in cornbread, when sauteing the cajun trinity or mire poix, or really in place of butter/fat as it seems appropriate. Just be judicious as it's basically saturated fat.
usually we get an old cool whip container then line it with a couple of layers of foil. then, we just throw out the foil after it hardens. that way, i don't lose a container and i also don't have to touch the nasty grease...ew.
Haha, we do this!! We use a clean coffee can and keep it in the freezer. Reusing grease totally grosses me out, so I never actually reuse it.. we just keep pouring old grease in the can, and then back to the freezer it goes. Once it's full (and frozen), we toss it out with the trash!
go to my parent's house. behind the sink on the left you'll see a mason jar of bacon grease.
i usually do what beef does though. i dont like cooking with bacon grease.
Mom used to put it in one of the cans of vegetables that she opened to go with dinner. When I lived with Mary Rose, we would line a colander with paper towels and let it set by the end of the dinner and throw it away. Marie just lines whatever already dirty bowl we have with paper towel and we call it a day.
heather armstrong recently blogged about this exact problem! i love bacon from a skillet, but you can avoid the grease down the sink issue by microwaving or baking it in the oven.
We pour ours into an empty coffee can which goes under the sink. And we have since I can remember!
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