Beef, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, cooked

This is the fat cap that sits just under the skin of imported New Zealand beef cuts, cooked rather than raw. Cooks either trim this layer off after roasting and crisp it separately in a hot pan, similar to cracklings, or leave it on the meat during cooking so it bastes the roast as it renders, keeping the surface moist and adding flavor to pan drippings. The rendered drippings left behind after roasting a cut with this fat cap intact are commonly spooned back over the sliced meat or used as the base for a pan gravy.

Because it comes from imported cuts, this fat is typically sold already attached to specific roasts or steaks rather than as a standalone product, so it is chosen along with the cut it belongs to, looking for a firm, evenly colored fat layer rather than a discolored or overly soft one. Keep it refrigerated with the meat and use within a few days, or freeze for longer storage. Per 100 g it delivers 731 calories and 78.3 g of fat, with 6.5 g of protein carried over from the muscle it was attached to, about 13 percent of the daily value. Sodium sits low at 25 mg per 100 g and carbohydrate is essentially absent, so this fat is best thought of as a cooking and basting medium that adds richness to a roast rather than a food eaten in large amounts on its own.