This morning I made fried potatoes for breakfast. The potatoes had been in the ground the day before, and I used hand- rendered beef tallow mixed with a little bacon grease for the cooking fat. I cooked the onions and garlic separately.
I rendered the fat from the last couple of times I made brisket, after listening to Malcom Gladwell’s podcast about french fries and beef tallow. I don’t know the chemistry, I’m sure the folks at Food Lab could explain why, but potatoes cooked in beef fat have a rich, irresistible flavor and a perfect crunch. And according to the new thinking on fat, they’re even good for you.
“Can you imagine what these would cost in a restaurant?” Larry asked as he munched.
“Well, considering the labor, the small batch cooking, and counting the hand-rendered tallow, probably $100 an order,” was my thought. Luckily for us, my restaurant is managed on a different scale.
I just listened to that podcast yesterday. Fascinating. And I assume, your results were the same!
Yes, the flavor is truly amazing.