le blog de tranny

(Yes it’s a play on the title of the second to last Decemberists’ album which kind of sucked in my opinion.)

[What does one do with an excess of bacon fat?]

As many of my friends know, a month or so ago, I was deep in the throes of an existential food crisis. Specifically, a warning from my mother and a chat with my optometrist had me convinced that I had high cholesterol and would have to significantly alter my diet. I freaked out. I started eating salads for lunch. I purchased this Eric Ripert cookbook. (Nina pointed out that while this cookbook features many fish recipes, which I had been planning on emphasizing in my new low cholesterol diet, there are also plenty of recipes in it with foie gras and truffle oil as the main ingredients lol.)

I got a blood test and it turns out my cholesterol is fine, at least for now. This means I can still enjoy my favorite high cholesterol dishes, such as mac ‘n cheese, fried chicken, and medium-rare steak, without fear of an early death. But at the same time, because I know I am at risk for high cholesterol later in life, I am making much more of an effort these days to eat less red meat, more vegetables, and maybe start exercising on a regular basis?

[Melting bacon fat.]

Anyway, this post is a tribute to those days when I didn’t give a second thought to the effect of what I was consuming on my LDL levels. It was a care-free time. A time when I would guzzle citrus-y cocktails, devour meaty mains, and preemptively pop antacids (holla JP) with reckless abandon. A time when I not only saved all bacon fat rendered in my kitchen (I still do this), but used it in creative ways. Case in point: that one time I made bacon fat confit chicken legs.

[Some quick side dishes.]

Bacon Fat Chicken Leg Confit
- Ingredients: bacon fat, chicken legs, garlic, herbs.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Season the chicken legs on all sides with ample s&p. Arrange in a baking tray or oven-safe saucepan just big enough to fit the chicken legs. Top with fresh sprigs of thyme, smashed garlic and whatever else sounds good.
- Melt the bacon fat over medium-low heat. Pour over the chicken legs. Top off with olive oil if necessary so that the chicken legs are fully submerged.
- Heat the pan containing the chicken legs on the stove over medium-high heat until the fat/oil just starts to bubble. Transfer to the oven, uncovered. Bake for 2 hours or more until the chicken is falling off the bone. Fish out the chicken, shred or separate the meat from the bone, and serve with polenta and some sauteed bitter greens or whatever else suits your fancy.

[Out of the oven.]

It was a fun and delicious experiment indeed, but I think I’ll save my bacon fat for frying up home fries from now on. If you make this, be sure to save the confit fat! You can never have enough flavorful meat-infused fats in your fridge.