I posted this question a few years ago. Before Coalcracker was here. And some other knowledgeable members such as ButcherD and others.
I bet you have some good explanations Coalcracker. If anyone knows, I bet its you.
What are main the differences between beef suet and beef fat? Why shouldn't you substitute fat for suet in that winter holiday pudding that English people make? I think it's that figgy (sp?) pudding mentioned in the song We wish you a merry Christmas.
Also, why would it be a bad idea to grind suet into very lean beef to fatten it up some?
I think suet has a lower melting point. It would probably solidify in a hamburger before you're done eating it, while genuine fat would still be in liquid form. I know suet is a lot more brittle when cold.
-- Edited by Burgermeister on Sunday 4th of October 2015 06:55:57 PM
You know Buergermeister my daughter and I have a candle business and we export to many foreign countries. One of the countries happens to be the United Kingdom (actually Great Britain). A few times we were asked whether or not we could make pure tallow candles. Our answer is always the same; if we can find pure suet, there is no problem. Without pure suet making a standing candle would be impossible. The reason is suet has a complex chemical called stearin which allows for a harder finished product thus creating a longer burn time. Muscle fat or belly fat is too soft and will smell like rendered material.
The old recipes that call for suet are works of art in as much as the suet is either grated or picked into small pieces using a fork. The reason the suet is used in these traditional dishes is virtually the same reason as making candles, it will hold up and not melt until the rest of the other ingredients does. Thus creating a better texture. If they used pure muscle fat the fat would melt before the other ingredients or at the same temperature causing the dish to be very greasy plus add a stronger beef flavor.
When you render suet vs. muscle fat the suet has a much lighter aroma than beef fat. In the packing plants we sold kidney nobs all the time. We would vacuum pack them just like we would a chuck roll or any sub-primal cut. The more suet we sold would it would enhance our carcass-break-out because the transfer price of fat and bone going to the rendering division was "small change". We could get 10 times that price selling it off.
Now you ask if you can grind suet into lean beef to ad fat. Well I am personally against that because despite what some of the old timers say (not mentioning any names), lol. It is very costly to do so. If you did want to do it here is the ratio of lean to fat:
Lets say you want to make a batch of 60 pounds of 80% lean ground beef. You would need 53 pounds of 90% lean meat and 7 pounds of suet. Now you do the math and cost the batch. Just multiply the cost of your 90% lean meat x 53 pounds =. Then multiply the cost of 7 pounds of suet=. Add both numbers up and divide by 60 pounds.
Two last little tidbit. It is said by some chefs that beef suet can ad moisture to certain recipes. If that be the case the worst thing you want to ad any more moisture to ground beef. Coalcracker says; It is the muscle fat or surface fat that has the real beef flavor, not the suet as it is "visceral fat."
Hope this helps answer some of your questions Bugermeister.
