Beef dripping with jelly is a beloved condiment in British cuisine that adds a rich meaty flavor to everything it touches. This luscious fat was once a kitchen staple but its popularity has waned over the years. If you want to get your hands on some beefy jelly goodness, read on to learn all about this old-fashioned ingredient and where to track it down.
A Brief History of Beef Dripping and Jelly
Beef dripping hails from a time when cooks wasted nothing from the weekly roast. The leftover fat from the beef joint was rendered down into drippings, while the meat juices and connective tissue congealed into a wobbly jelly below.
This flavorful fat was used for all sorts of cooking and baking. Bread and dripping was a common wartime food, and the dripping gave a lovely crispness to roast potatoes. The soft beef jelly layer was perfect spread on toast or bread.
While dripping fell out of favor after WWII due to health concerns, a core group of dripping devotees remains. The rich taste brings back fond memories for many, especially older Brits who grew up on it.
The Appeal of Beef Dripping With Jelly
So what makes beef dripping with jelly so special? The mix of rendered fat and proteins gives it a meatier flavor than plain drippings or butter. The beefy jelly has tons of umami savoriness, while the clean-tasting fat carries flavors beautifully.
Dripping also has a very high smoke point of 420°F, making it wonderful for frying and roasting. From Yorkshire pudding to fish and chips, a dash of beef dripping can make it sublime.
Where To Buy Beef Dripping With Jelly
Sadly, beef dripping with jelly can be tricky to find in stores today. However, here are some places you may find this elusive treasure:
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Traditional UK butcher shops: Check with local butchers, especially in rural areas. Tell them you want the old-fashioned kind with the beef jelly layer.
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Specialty UK grocers: Some British import stores and grocers may carry it or can order it specially.
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Online UK specialty food shops: Several UK food retailers sell beef dripping online and ship worldwide. Prices range from £2-6 for about 250g.
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Amazon UK: Amazon UK carries a few beef dripping with jelly products that ship globally. Prices start around £3.
How To Make Your Own Beef Dripping With Jelly
If you strike out finding beef dripping with jelly in stores, it’s simple to make your own at home. You just need beef fat, a pot, and some patience.
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Start with beef suet – the hard fat around the kidneys and organs. Beef suet renders the best.
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Chop the suet into chunks and add to a heavy pot with a sprinkle of salt. Put in the oven at 300°F, stirring occasionally.
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Cook for 2-3 hours until completely rendered. Strain out any solids.
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Let cool slightly and pour into a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate until set.
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Flip over the hardened dripping and scrape off any impurities from the bottom.
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Melt again and strain through a fine cloth or paper into storage containers.
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The flavorful jelly layer will settle underneath the clean white fat. Store in a cool area or the fridge.
Cooking With Beef Dripping – Tips and Recipe Ideas
Beef dripping can be used in many ways to add rich meaty flavor to dishes:
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Pan-fry potatoes in a spoonful of dripping for the best roasties ever.
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Brush meat and vegetables with dripping before roasting for incredible caramelization.
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Use a 50/50 mix of dripping and butter for the flakiest pastry.
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Fry fish in beef dripping for mouthwatering flavor.
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Spread beef jelly on hot toast for an old-school tasting treat.
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Make gravy with pan drippings and beef jelly dissolved in the liquid.
Try this easy Toad in the Hole recipe using beef dripping:
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Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F.
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Add 1 tbsp beef dripping to a 12-inch baking pan and place in the oven until sizzling hot.
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Meanwhile, stir together 200g flour, 3 eggs, 300ml milk, and 1/2 tsp salt to make a thick batter.
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Carefully pour the batter into the hot pan with the beef dripping.
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Arrange 6 good-sized British sausages into the batter.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes until the batter is puffed and golden brown.
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Serve piping hot with onion gravy for dipping. Delicious!
Beef dripping with jelly may take some effort to find, but it’s worth it for the superior flavor. With a long history in British cuisine and a cult following today, this traditional fat definitely deserves a renaissance.
James Whelan Butchers – Beef Dripping – Great Taste Awards 2014 Top 50
FAQ
Do any supermarkets sell beef dripping?
Can you still get beef dripping?
What is the jelly in dripping?
Can you buy meat drippings?
Where can I buy dripping fat?
You don’t have to save the fat from your roast or buy fat to make dripping, just pop into James Whelan Butchers in Clonmel, Avoca Rathcoole and Monkstown and pick some up or you can order online. It’s a natural, tasty fat that has always been perfect for frying and cooking meat.
Is beef dripping good for frying?
Beef dripping is also more stable than vegetable oils and fats when used for frying. For more technical information on that, go to the Nortech Foods site. The result is that dripping is good for making roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. It was also traditionally the fat of choice for making British fish and chips. “Beef dripping.
How do you cook beef dripping?
Basically you melt the fat slowly again once you have removed it from the jelly. When it has liquefied, strain it into a bowl or vessel and allow it to set. We usually strain it through muslin for the best results. Dripping is particularly good for browning beef of any kind as you are adding another layer of deep flavour to the already beefy taste.
Where can I buy dripping in the UK?
You can still buy dripping in some supermarkets and traditional butcher shops in the UK, but if you can’t find it, don’t worry, it’s easy to prepare and may become one of your favorite toppings for bread or toast. You will need to source fat from beef or pork. If you can’t find these for sale, ask at your butcher’s shop.
