Comments on: Celery Root Potato Quiche with Parsnip Custard in Beef Tallow Pastry – a.k.a The Winner!

By: SharleneT

SharleneT — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:26:08 +0000

Dave, the quiche looks delicious and I’m going to try it. For the record, you wouldn’t have had to work half so hard, if you had rendered the suet into tallow and then put it in the dough with the butter. My grandmother and I have always used lard (rendered pig suet) in our pastries and the tallow (rendered beef suet) in other foods and for frying. The lard makes the pie crusts extra light and flaky. And, of course, there’s schmaltz (rendered chicken fat)that rounds out a basic, well-fatted kitchen.

Just rendered some tallow this week for the next couple of month’s use for folks who have never done it.

And, essny, you’re right. Beef tallow has long been used for cooking, candles, and soap — and, in today’s green world, for bio-fuels.

By: Michael Martin

Michael Martin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:40:26 +0000

Yes. It took me a few years of seeing myself on video before I got used to it. But then again, how weird is Alton Brown’s mannerisms? Or Julia Child’s for that matter.

Great job again on that quiche.

By: daveklop

daveklop — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:50:09 +0000

Michael — the video is awesome! I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself on video before — certainly I’ve never watched myself being interviewed. I don’t know what to say, except, boy do I talk funny!

By: janiejaner

janiejaner — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:13:22 +0000

Bravo, Dave! Given the massive # of contestants, this win is truly something to treasure. My fave part of your description is mental image conjured up by you “muscling” the unruly dough.

Personally, I was grateful that contest regs specified “homemade” so that I was obliged to confront my absurd fear of making piecrust. Simply being included among the contenders was prize enough for me this time.

By: Michael Martin

Michael Martin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:29:10 +0000

Hey Dave. Great job on Saturday. The interview with you is up on my vlog at http://www.piefolk.wordpress.com. Also, you can see footage of Cody Utzman giving me a drubbing. I’m linking you to my blog – hope you don’t mind.

Michael

JOIN THE REVOLUTION

By: daveklop

daveklop — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:22:53 +0000

Yes, tallow is / was used for candles and also for soap. I didn’t really dig as much as I should’ve into the question of tallow vs suet — to be perfectly honest I’m using the word “tallow” mostly because it sounds a lot nicer than ’suet’ It’s gonna be worth a return trip to the Meat Hook to ask them more about this and get the benefit of their beef fat expertise.

By: essny

essny — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:57:15 +0000

Ok, so I’m somewhat hesitant to use anything besides butter in my crusts but I may need to give that another thought. Congrats on the win! and isn’t tallow what was once used for making candles? Or am I just imagining that?

By: Denise

Denise — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:34:52 +0000

So, besides being rendered (which I take to mean clarified), tallow has a lower melting point? Meaning it functions (and looks) more like butter?

I wonder what the advantages to suet are then–besides price (and besides not being a main ingredient in soap, candles, etc.)? I have always heard of it ground or grated (at least in the mincemeat recipes I’ve seen)–your pastry skills must be good to work with chopped bits. And your patience long to do it at all…

Sorry for the musings, to the point now: the quiche looks marvelous! I was expecting sage, but chives seem like an excellent counterpoint!

By: emily

emily — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:34:11 +0000

Wow, congratulations! I had full intentions of competing on Saturday but a new job stopped those plans. I love the beef tallow idea – a few months ago, I wanted to play with the same idea but with lamb. Also, I <3 The Meat Hook. I love that they have any and every meat product you could want.