How do you make a tasty fat ball?

July 24, 2013 5:14 PM

At a teppanyaki restaurant in Okinawa the chef cut off the fatty tip of my steak and left it aside to render on the grill. He served it after the meal was finished, by that time it was black and about the size of a pea. It was the tastiest thing I've ever eaten. What is it called and how can I make it for myself?

I think my steak was a NY Strip which often has a chunk of fat on the bottom. He trimmed it off and let it rest on the side of the grill. I was too busy eating and watching the show to see if he did anything else to it. It tasted intensely meaty and salty with a great mouth feel.

I've tried cutting off the same piece of fat and leaving it on the side of the pan while I cook my steak but I just end up with a slightly translucent gummy piece of fat.

How can I recreate the tasty little black ball?

posted by Crashback to Food & Drink (3 answers total)

Higher heat?
posted by scose at 6:32 PM on July 24, 2013

Sounds similar to Cracklins, or pork rinds. The cooking method is slightly different, but the end result is a little piece of heaven!
posted by JujuB at 7:29 PM on July 24, 2013

He basically rendered that bit of fat, which needs a long cooking time. So yeah, leaving it on the side of your pan while you cook your steak isn't going to do it. You need a good 25 mins at 350 to do it.
posted by Specklet at 7:55 PM on July 24, 2013