Friday, October 28, 2011


Suet?

[SOO-iht]
Found in beef, sheep, and other animals, suet is the solid, white, fat found around the kidneys and loins. Many British recipes call for it to lend richness to pastries, puddings, and mincemeats.

I love the richness of Christmas pudding and mince pies, and that richness comes from suet, whether you use the beef variety or the vegetarian, (which is nothing more than palm oil and rice flour). According to some people, it adds depth of flavor, or umami, to the mincemeat. Suet also has a very high melting point, so is perfect for pastry making, (same as butter).

But although woodpeckers, cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, and bluebirds, among others, are known to favor suet-based bird feeders, I can’t quite justify it for human consumption, unless of course, you are an Arctic explorer or drive sled dogs in Alaska, and you need it for your high daily energy requirement.

I can’t in good conscience use something that is 52% saturated fat. If depth of flavor is what you’re after, let your mince pies sit for a few days in a tin. Trust me: the taste improves, exponentially, over time.

If you disagree with me, and you’ve decided to use suet, however, here is a good source for it:

·        Wellness Meats: www.grasslandbeef.com; (877) 383-0051.

P.S. Whatever you do, please don’t use vegetable shortening or butter. It just doesn’t give good results, according to most articles I’ve read.

No comments:

Post a Comment