Can You Use Bacon Grease Instead of Butter?

Butter is a staple baking ingredient added to everything from cookies to cakes for its rich flavor and tenderizing quality. But what if you want to infuse even more savory bacon essence into your treats? Using rendered bacon fat or grease is an intriguing substitute but how feasible and advisable is it? Let’s explore the possibilities and practicalities of using bacon grease in place of butter.

An Overview of Bacon Grease

Bacon grease is the leftover fat rendered from cooked bacon As the bacon fries, the fat melts off and accumulates in the pan Once cooled, it becomes a semi-solid fat with a smoky, salty, umami bacon essence.

In the past, cooks routinely saved bacon grease for cooking. But health concerns over saturated fat caused it to fall out of favor. However, used moderately, bacon grease can be a handy flavor booster. Due to its high smoke point compared to butter, it also performs well for sautéing or frying.

Key Factors to Consider

There are a few key considerations when substituting bacon grease for butter:

• Fat content – Bacon fat is 100% fat, while butter contains both fat and other milk solids. Adjust other liquids when replacing butter.

• Smoke point – Butter has a low smoke point of 350°F. Bacon grease can get much hotter before smoking, around 375-400°F.

• Flavor – Bacon grease has a pronounced savory, salty, smoky flavor lacking in butter. It will infuse its essence into baking.

• Shelf life – Refrigerated, bacon grease keeps for extended periods, while butter spoils more quickly. Frozen, it can keep 6 months or longer.

The high fat content and smoky flavor means using bacon grease instead of butter will significantly influence the end result. Keep this in mind with your substitutions.

Is it advisable to use bacon grease in place of butter?

Whether using bacon grease instead of butter is advisable depends on the recipe and your dietary preferences:

• For recipes desiring a bacon flavor like biscuits, cornbread or gravy, the substitution amplifies the preferred taste.

• In cookies, the texture may change slightly with the higher fat content, but the bacon taste can complement flavors like chocolate.

• In more neutral baked goods like cakes, bacon grease may make an overly pronounced smoky or salty flavor.

• For health reasons, some may want to limit bacon grease due to the high saturated fat and sodium content compared to butter.

Overall, bacon grease instead of butter is ideal for recipes where you specifically want to highlight bacon flavor. In more neutral baked goods, butter likely remains the better choice. Consider your recipe and nutritional needs when deciding.

Substitution Ratio

When substituting bacon grease for butter, use a 1:1 ratio by volume. For example:

• 1 tablespoon butter = 1 tablespoon bacon grease

• 1/4 cup butter = 1/4 cup bacon grease

Since the fat content by weight differs between butter and bacon grease, the texture and moisture level of the final baked good may be slightly affected. Be prepared to adjust other liquids in the recipe if needed.

Tips for Cooking with Bacon Grease

Implementing bacon grease instead of butter successfully relies on some key tips:

• Keep bacon grease stored in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use. This prevents spoilage.

• Melt or soften bacon grease before using to make it easier to incorporate. Gently heat to liquefy if chilled.

• Opt for grease from thick-cut, uncured bacon when possible. This has a richer pork flavor.

• Consider mixing butter and bacon grease for some recipes. The butter provides tenderness, while the grease infuses flavor.

• Lower oven temperature slightly compared to recipes using butter. Bacon grease browns faster.

• Add extra moisture like milk or water since bacon grease is 100% fat unlike butter.

• Be sparing at first until you determine ideal bacon grease amounts for a recipe. Start with just a couple tablespoons substituted.

With practice, you’ll master the balance of bacon grease versus other fats and liquids to create ideal baked goods.

Dishes to Try With Bacon Grease

From main courses to desserts, bacon grease can infuse recipes with smoky depth. Dishes to try it in include:

Savory

• Biscuits – Substitute bacon grease for regular butter or shortening.

• Cornbread – For a Southern twist, use bacon grease instead of oil or butter.

• Gravy – Whisk bacon grease into the roux for ultimate flavor.

• Mac and cheese – Mix into the cheese sauce for a smoky twist.

• Popcorn – Pop and drizzle with warm bacon grease instead of butter for snacking.

Sweet

• Cookies – Substitute for the butter in chocolate chip and other drop cookies.

• Pancakes – For bacon pancakes, replace melted butter with grease.

• Cakes – Try in chocolate or other rich cakes, adjusting moisture as needed.

• Frosting – Add a spoonful of cooled grease to creamy frostings for a savory accent.

• Pie crust – Use bacon grease for the fat when making pie dough.

Let your imagination run wild dreaming up new ways to infuse dishes with bacon essence!

Storing Bacon Grease

Like any rendered animal fat, proper storage is key for maximizing bacon grease shelf life. Follow these guidelines:

• Store grease in an airtight container like a mason jar. The lid prevents absorbing odors from the fridge.

• Pour hot grease into the container, let cool, and refrigerate. The heat sterilizes the container first.

• For longer term storage of several months, keep frozen. Thaw before using.

• Use clean utensils each time when scooping out grease to prevent contamination.

• If grease starts becoming cloudy, bubbling, or growing mold, discard it.

With an air-tight container and cold storage, your precious bacon grease can last for months.

Making Your Own Bacon Grease

Want to stock up on bacon grease? Making your own at home is easy:

Ingredients:

• Bacon (opt for uncured, thick-cut for maximum grease)

Instructions:

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. As it cooks, the grease will render out.

2. Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving for another use.

3. Carefully pour the hot grease through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel into a heatproof jar or container. This straining removes any burned bacon bits.

4. Allow the grease to cool until just warm. Seal the container, then refrigerate or freeze.

5. Discard the strained bacon solids. Enjoy freshly rendered grease for 1-6 months!

Now there’s no need to rely just on leftover bacon drippings. Make batches of grease ahead so you always have it on hand.

Potential Health Concerns

Replacing heart-healthy butter with pure animal fat bacon grease isn’t the healthiest swap. Consider these nutritional aspects:

• High in saturated fat – Bacon grease is nearly 50% saturated fat, which raises cholesterol levels.

• Low in protein – Butter contains trace milk proteins, while bacon grease has none.

• High in sodium – Bacon contributes a large amount of sodium to the grease.

• Least healthy fat – Butter has some monounsaturated fat, but bacon grease is high in inflammatory omega-6s.

• Carcinogens – Potential cancer-causing compounds may form when bacon fries.

Enjoying bacon grease occasionally likely poses little risk. But relying on it routinely instead of healthier fats like olive oil and avocados isn’t recommended.

Environmentally Friendly Re-use

Don’t want to consume the bacon grease but don’t want to waste it either? Consider these eco-friendly ways to put leftover grease to use:

• Condition cast iron pans by rubbing with grease and heating slowly on the stovetop. Wipe away excess.

• Use to lubricate and protect garden tools by coating with a thin layer of grease. Buff away excess.

• Create bird feeders by coating pine cones with bacon grease and rolling in bird seed. Hang outside.

• Make candles by pouring melted bacon grease into jars with wicks. Infuse your home with bacon aroma!

With a little creativity, that leftover lard can be put to good use rather than trashed.

Can you use bacon grease instead of butter? While not the healthiest substitution, bacon grease certainly infuses recipes with indulgent savory flavor. When used moderately in dishes that complement bacon’s essence, the results can be delicious. Store grease properly, make adjustments to account for the higher fat content, and find ways to limit use of this high-saturated fat ingredient for optimal health. While an occasional dab of grease can provide a tasty treat, for everyday eating, nutritious fats like olive and avocado oils are smarter choices. With mindful moderation, bacon grease can be a crave-worthy flavor addition.