Bacon Fat

Bacon fat, sometimes called bacon grease, is the rendered fat left behind after cooking bacon, prized in cooking for its smoky, salty, savory flavor. It is traditionally saved after frying bacon and reused to cook other foods, most commonly to fry eggs, potatoes and cornbread, or to add a smoky richness to greens, beans and gravies, particularly in American Southern cooking. Because it solidifies at room temperature like other rendered animal fats, bacon fat is typically stored in a jar near the stove and used in place of butter or oil whenever a smoky, meaty flavor is wanted.