left over pork skin and pork fat. suggestions???

[MrsBrady]

We were given a monster size of a fully cooked/smoked ham for a Thanksgiving/Christmas gift.
Nice gift! :)

I don't remember the actual weight, but it cost about $40 per the label. Thing was huge.

We've decimated nearly half of it already, and I've cut a lot off and froze it for future use.

I have a huge bone (shoulder bone, i think...don't know...
might be a whole freaking back leg) left over that I know I can make stock out of.
That will be a lot of stock.

But is there anything I should do with the fat. I'm not too keen on eating the skin or the 1/2 inch fat layer with it.
I know I could keep it to make beans in...but there is so much of it.

There is so much there, I just don't know what to do with it all. It's just the two of us.

More suggestions please. Other than beans.

[grasswire]

1. I spose you could cube it and freeze the cubes.

I can't think of much else but soup flavoring.

[Denninmi]

2. Well, if you want to keep it, you probably should render the fat from the skin.

As is, it exists as a matrix of tissues - fat run through with veins, etc. , To keep it longer, I personally would render it out by cutting it into smaller pieces, putting it into a medium depth pan, and heating on medium low to low heat until completely rendered, until the skin and bits are reduced to "cracklings" (aka pork skins). Then strain and freeze the purified fat (I guess its smoked lard, really). Purified fat will last longer than the way it is a now, although personally I still think about 4 to 6 months is the outer limit before it gets too strong to use.

You could use it to fry things in, but of course, it will give everything it touches a bit of a smoky and cured flavor. I suppose it would be an interesting experiment to see how things such as hash browns or home fries would come out when cooked in this.

If you decide you don't want it, you could put it outside in a mesh bag (like the kind onions or oranges come in), tied up high in a tree for the birds. They would love it.

[kestrel91316]

3. Just mail it to me.

[MrsBrady]

4. that would probably

smell really good by the time you got it.

lovely. :spank:

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Make cracklin's?

[MrsBrady]

6. i've never tried that....but

I guess I could now, huh.

[noamnety]

7. I know you said "not beans" but ...

what about green beans? I use a little bit of bacon grease to sauté fresh green beans in, then add a little balsamic vinegar to the pan before serving. It would be great for mushrooms as well. You could use the rendered fat also for greasing pans for things like cornbread - since you have to grease them anyway, why not go with something that will add flavor?

I had bacon ends that I stuck on top of my turkey at thanksgiving so it was self-basting. And sometimes the butcher will give me an extra bit of scrap fat to put on top of a tenderloin when it bakes for the same reason.