Animal fat, bacon grease

Bacon grease is the rendered fat left in the pan after frying bacon, and cooks save it specifically for the smoky, savory flavor it lends to other dishes. A spoonful is classic for frying eggs, sauteing greens like collards, seasoning a cast-iron skillet, or working into cornbread batter and biscuit dough for extra richness. It carries the flavor of the bacon it came from, so a little in a pan of vegetables or a pot of beans adds a savory depth that plain cooking oil cannot.

To store it, strain the warm fat through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove any browned bits, then pour it into a sealed jar and refrigerate, where it solidifies and keeps well for months. It is nearly pure fat, 99.5 g per 100 g, and very calorie-dense at 897 calories per 100 g, so it is used the way any cooking fat is, a teaspoon (4 g) at a time to season a dish rather than as a food eaten on its own, the way olive oil or vegetable oil would be measured out for a recipe. Its sodium (150 mg per 100 g) comes from the bacon itself and is worth keeping in mind if a recipe already calls for added salt.