“Food That Time Forgot: Suet”

Summary

This video delves into the fascinating role of sew it, the unrendered form of tallow, in 18th-century cooking. Used in a variety of savory and sweet dishes like boiled puddings and sausages, sew it was valued for its high melting point, moisture, and flavor-enhancing properties. The script highlights its historical significance and modern-day applications, particularly in high-heat cooking. An experiment compares a sew it-based pudding to one made with butter, showcasing sew it’s superior texture and moisture. The video demonstrates the importance of using fresh sew it to achieve authentic 18th-century flavors in cooking.

Takeaways

• 😀 Sew it is a crucial ingredient in 18th-century English and American cooking, appearing in numerous recipes, both savory and sweet.
• 😀 Sew it is the unrendered version of tallow, an important fat derived from organs, particularly the kidneys, of cows and other animals.
• 😀 Cows have approximately 15 lbs of sew it, and in the 18th century, cooking fats primarily included butter, lard, sew it, and occasionally sweet oil or olive oil.
• 😀 Sew it has become popular in modern cooking for its high flash point, high smoke point, and unique flavor, particularly in dishes like French fries.
• 😀 Rendering sew it into tallow makes it shelf-stable and eliminates moisture and connective tissues, allowing it to be stored for long periods.
• 😀 Sew it is commonly used in boiled puddings, dry meats like venison, sausages, and frying due to its high smoke point and rich moisture content.
• 😀 In 18th-century cookbooks, sew it was used in a variety of ways, including larding meats like venison and rabbit, which are lean and need additional fat.
• 😀 Besides cooking, sew it was also used in non-food applications, such as in skin creams and ointments in the 18th century.
• 😀 The texture and taste of boiled puddings made with sew it differ significantly from those made with butter, with sew it providing a softer, more moist pudding.
• 😀 Even though the texture of sew it puddings can be unexpected, it adds a unique richness and a slight meaty flavor that makes it distinct from butter-based puddings.

Q & A

What is sew it, and why is it important in 18th-century cooking?

Sew it is the unrendered version of tallow, a special animal fat sourced from around the kidneys of cattle. It was an essential ingredient in 18th-century cooking, appearing in numerous recipes, both savory and sweet, due to its unique properties like its high melting point, flavor, and moisture content.

How is sew it different from tallow?

Sew it is raw, unrendered fat, whereas tallow is rendered sew it, meaning it has been cooked down to remove moisture and connective tissue, making it more shelf-stable and easier to store.

What were the primary fats used in 18th-century cooking?

In the 18th century, the primary fats used were butter, lard, sew it, and occasionally sweet oil (like olive oil), with sew it being particularly important for cooking rich, moist dishes and frying due to its high smoke point.

Why is sew it considered beneficial for modern cooking?

Sew it, like tallow, is prized in modern cooking for its high smoke point, making it ideal for frying, and its unique flavor components. It's particularly popular for foods like French fries and is used for its ability to maintain high temperatures without burning.

What are some traditional uses of sew it in 18th-century recipes?

Sew it was used in 18th-century recipes to add richness and moisture to boiled puddings, meat dishes (like venison or tongue), sausages, and even to fry foods. It was also a key ingredient in pemkin, a preserved food from bison fat.

What is the process of rendering sew it into tallow?

Rendering sew it involves slowly cooking the fat to remove impurities like moisture and connective tissue, leaving behind a solid, dense fat that is shelf-stable and can be stored for long periods.

How was sew it used in puddings?

In puddings, sew it provided moisture, richness, and a unique texture, often melting during cooking and leaving behind pockets of fat that helped to create a light and moist texture, which was preferred over dry, dense puddings.

What was the difference in texture between the sew it pudding and the butter pudding?

The sew it pudding had a much softer, moister texture compared to the butter pudding, which turned out dense. This difference was due to the sew it retaining a gelled state, creating pockets of moisture, while the butter melted and left a dense consistency.

Why did the cook recommend using fresh sew it when rendering tallow?

The cook emphasized using fresh sew it because fresher fat provides a better flavor and texture, ensuring that the rendered tallow or raw sew it in recipes delivers optimal results in terms of taste and consistency.

What other uses did sew it have in the 18th century besides cooking?

Beyond cooking, sew it was used in commercial and industrial applications, including in skin creams and ointments, where it served as a fat-based component. It was also referenced in medicinal contexts.