What is dripping?
Dripping is exactly as you imagine it to be: whatever 'drips' out of beef when it is cooking. This usually consists of fat and juices which solidify when they're cooled and can then be kept in a pot in the fridge and used for roasting potatoes, basting meat, pan-frying, Yorkshire puddings, making gravy, and adding to sauces, soups or stews. There's much to recommend it and it sits well with a more frugal, less wasteful approach to food.
And whilst once 'dripping on toast' seemed preposterously old-fashioned (and unhealthy), new audiences are now waking up to its delicious flavour. Spread it cold on hot toast (the equivalent of melted butter) and season, or fry your bread in the melted dripping and eat it hot. It's high time dripping was due for a re-appraisal.
Is dripping good for us?
In recent decades, the traditional use of beef dripping for cooking has been shunned in favour of often highly-processed vegetable oils. But as we wake up to the many benefits of 'good' fats, attention is turning back to dripping and its use is gaining traction.
All the positives that you can expect from eating excellent pasture-fed beef you can also expect distilled in a jar of dripping from a pasture-fed cow. Which makes dripping an exciting 'new' prospect for the health-conscious kitchen.
Eating the right kind of dripping is the key. The better quality the beef, the better quality the dripping. We know that prioritising grass- or pasture-fed beef over grain-fed beef makes a big difference to the nutrient content of the beef we're eating. And the same rules apply to dripping. Grass-fed beef dripping is a clear winner: it has higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids; it has increased antioxidants like fat-soluble Vitamins E, K and A (good for bone and skin health); it's richer in CLA which may have a role in fighting cancer, heart disease and diabetes; it has higher levels of minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium; and it is lower in total and saturated fat.
Although all fats should be eaten in moderation, even the saturated fat in dripping needn't put you off. Dripping has proportionately more monosaturated fat in the form of oleic fatty acid - the same predominant fatty acid in avocado and olive oil - than saturated fat. Oleic acid has been called a 'heart healthy' fat and is believed to be immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory. It doesn't appear to raise cholesterol in the same way as other saturated fats (like butter – though bear in mind that olive oil doesn't raise 'bad' cholesterol at all) and may even help prevent plaque build-up in the arteries. And, as with the other health benefits of beef, animals fed purely on pasture have a much higher level (up to around 30% more) of oleic acid than those that are grain-fed.
Is it better to cook with olive oil or dripping?
Of course, you can't use dripping for a salad dressing. And Olive oil has numerous well-documented health benefits. But when it comes to cooking at high temperatures, it seems that dripping may have the upper hand. Much has been written recently about cooking oils and high smoke points. This is important because, in essence, the higher the smoke point of our fat, the safer it is for high-heat cooking methods like frying, roasting and searing. Using fats with a high smoke point makes them less likely to break down and produce harmful compounds at higher temperatures.
Dripping's high smoke point is one of the most convincing reasons to use it when cooking with high heat. It's fairly easy to look up oils with the highest smoking points and whilst avocado oil and clarified butter (or ghee) are pretty good for this too, dripping has the added benefit of flavour. Which is why it makes such delicious roast potatoes.
But to limit it to roasting potatoes would be a shame, especially given its advantages. Whenever you sautee an onion, roast some vegetables or even fry an egg, consider swapping out your oil or butter for dripping and see what it does to the flavour.
And think about the pleasure of provenance. We are so used to buying oils that have been made elsewhere. If you're buying your home-made dripping from a reputable butcher or farmer, take heart in knowing that not only does the food you're cooking have excellent local provenance, but what you're cooking it with does too.
Shop our premium grass-fed beef dripping here
Are all 'drippings' made equal – what about goose or pork fat?
Dripping from goose, duck or pork has many of the same benefits as beef dripping – it often has good provenance, it is unprocessed and it discourages waste. All three have more monosaturated fat in the form of oleic acid than saturated fats (duck generally has a particularly high proportion which makes it a marginally less suitable for cooking at very high temperatures); and pork fat – lard – is rich in vitamins B and D as well as selenium. Goose fat, like dripping, makes incredible roast potatoes – it's a traditional favourite and which of the two you choose for your spuds has to come down to personal taste. All 'drippings' have a surprisingly long shelf-life and can be stored in a sealed pot or jar in the fridge for up to a year. They also take well to being frozen.
And finally, as with all livestock: the better the diet and husbandry of the animal, the better the quality and health-giving benefits of the meat and fat. It's a no-brainer.