SIEI? Duck fat edition!

February 5, 2010 3:09 PM

Should I eat it? Duck fat from one week ago.

I made a lovely roast duck on Sunday. Duck is very fatty, and the grease poured off in buckets into the drip pan. Knowing that it had a really good flavour I put the poured off grease into a tupperware and then into the back of the fridge. There is now a brick of cooked duck fat with a small layer of the meaty dripping trapped underneath.

Can I use it to make wonderful baked potatoes this Saturday, or will it make me sick? It's a fairly cold fridge, but it hasn't frozen and I'm worried the drippings will have rendered it toxic.

posted by Phalene to food & drink (17 answers total)

Assuming it doesn't smell weird, I'd use it. Sounds awesome.

Next time you might want to freeze it though, so you don't have to concern yourself with spoilage.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:16 PM on February 5, 2010

Personally I can't stand the fattiness of duck, but I LOVE food so i can understand the love of something tasty and wanting to experience it again and again. That being said, it appears that you can keep it for a very long time

Enjoy!
posted by zombieApoc at 3:19 PM on February 5, 2010

Fats are used to preserve meats (as in duck cofit). They don't go bad easily.
posted by path at 3:21 PM on February 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Fat can stay good for a pretty long time, especially in your fridge. One week should be fine, especially if it smells fine.

I am very, very jealous.
posted by wholebroad at 3:21 PM on February 5, 2010

Fats are used to preserve meats (as in duck cofit). They don't go bad easily.

Yes! In fact, in The Olden Days, the French would keep their roasted duck sanitary for months sealed within solidified duck fat. I wouldn't really recommend that, but it indicates that your week-old, refrigerated fat should be fine.
posted by wholebroad at 3:28 PM on February 5, 2010

Absolutely fine; I do this with chicken schmaltz all the time. My only caveat would be: if you've left the tupperware lid off, there's a chance the fat's absorbed odours from the fridge (in which case it would still be safe to eat, but might taste a bit odd). But if the lid's on: LET THE DELICIOUSNESS COMMENCE.
posted by hot soup girl at 3:33 PM on February 5, 2010

I've been working my way through a jar of goose fat since Thanksgiving; you'll be A-OK. That said, indeed, it is very important to keep it tightly covered or it can pick up funky fridge smells.
posted by mostlymartha at 3:36 PM on February 5, 2010

It smells good, and I kept it tightly sealed. Maybe next mfi Montreal meet up I'll roast you a duck and we can all have fat. ^_^
posted by Phalene at 3:51 PM on February 5, 2010

I recently ate some duck legs that had been sitting in duck fat in my refrigerator for a few months. You're fine. And those potatoes will be awesome.
posted by sanko at 3:55 PM on February 5, 2010

Duck fat is gold. We use year-old duck fat from the fridge sometimes. Hasn't hurt me yet.

And if you're gonna cook potatoes in duck fat, go the whole way and make pommes sarladaise. It's a pretty simple dish, the only real trick is controlling the cooking to get the right texture.
posted by Nelson at 4:08 PM on February 5, 2010

Nthing that duck fat stays good for months and months, just keep it sealed. In my fridge right now are two confited duck legs covered in fat, a mason jar of necks and gizzards covered in fat, and another container that's just fat because I already ate all of the duck wings.

Don't skimp on the duck fat when you use it. Don't let anyone tell you that it's weird to spread it on toast like butter.

I'm getting hungry again.
posted by desuetude at 6:20 PM on February 5, 2010

Taste a tiny bit of it, if it isn't sour, it should still be good. I've left clarified bacon fat at room temp for up to two or three weeks and it hasn't ever gone bad on me. In the fridge, I'd say it's safe.

The stuff underneath, though, if it was boiled/boiling hot when it got poured out, and nothing has touched it, chances are good that it was sterile, and the layer on fat on top kept it that way.
posted by porpoise at 6:41 PM on February 5, 2010

I would not think twice about this, and I do it all the time with duck, chicken and beef dripping.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 7:50 PM on February 5, 2010

Duck fat is to be saved, and used for months afterwards.
posted by clvrmnky at 9:50 PM on February 5, 2010

Bit late, but I had a bowl of duck fat in my fridge for a year that kept fine, and made great roast potatoes when I finally got round to using it.
posted by SamuelBowman at 10:23 AM on February 6, 2010

Mr. Monkey has been eating goose fat from our Christmas goose weekly with no ill effects. He spreads it right on bread and sprinkles salt on it.
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 10:35 AM on February 6, 2010

It was good. I did not get sick or die.
posted by Phalene at 12:18 PM on March 8, 2010