Every Jewish grandmother knows the secret to the best-tasting Matzo balls, chicken liver mousse, or Latkes is rendered chicken fat. She’ll call it schmaltz. Today, schmaltz seems a luxury. There’s a lot of tradition in Jewish cooking and also practicality. You can put practicality on the menu by making and using schmaltz in your kitchen.
What Is Schmaltz?
Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat. Sometimes rendered duck or goose fat is called schmaltz. By far, the expected product for the term is chicken fat.
With rendering comes crispins which, in the case of rendered chicken fat, have their own name, gribenes.
How Schmaltz Is Made
Chickens have lumps of fat near the neck and in the abdominal cavity. You’ve probably seen that when you cut up a chicken. When those are rendered, that is, the fat melted out, we get schmaltz, and a tasty treat: gibbenes.
To ensure crispy gribenes, cut the fat pieces into strips or at least small pieces. Place them in a small saucepan on low heat and let them render. As the fat level rises, it seems to slowly fry the rest of the pieces, rendering more fat and caramelizing those gribenes.
Tradition can impact what else goes in the pan. Some folks add sliced onions to the pan for additional flavor and added yumminess as a flavor element in the gribenes.
Chicken skin does have some fat and the thighs have small bits of fat on the edges. The fat from one chicken may not be sufficient to render as there isn’t too much. Freeze your portions of chicken fat until you have a cup or two. Let the fat thaw in the refrigerator before you start making schmaltz. Frozen fat can scorch before the transfer of heat defrosts the fat. Scorch flavor cannot be eliminated, so avoiding it is best.
Poaching a whole chicken or roasting a whole chicken will produce rendered fat. Fat obtained from a cooked bird — roasted or poached — is definitely usable. Is that fat schmaltz? Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t, but it does meet our practicality need.
The fat from the poached chicken can be collected, cooled, and rendered further the next day. Fat from poached chicken will be emulsified with water. Melting the fat from the water gives the pure fat which has more flavor and won’t splatter when added to a hot pan.
Roasted fat should be strained through a fine mesh strainer or a coffee filter. It will not have water in it, but it will have a roasted flavor. As long as the flavor isn’t burnt, it is fine to use.
While either case may not meet the specific requirements for schmaltz, both methods do fulfill the concept of waste nothing, which is one reason schmaltz was used: utilize every part of the animal. (Another reason is Kosher dietary law, which forbids pork products — so lard was not an option.)
Types of Schmaltz
Chicken is the king of schmaltz.
Goose fat is also called schmaltz, at least in some cases. The current modern trend of wanting old things has made goose fat a hot commodity in its own right and is available from online vendors.
Duck fat has long been used by chefs to make duck confit. Duck fat, like goose fat, is seeing a bump in popularity with chefs and home cooks.
Schmaltz also refers to a type of theater. Schmaltz derives from a German word meaning “dripping fat”. Yiddish theater, with dripping sentimentality about Mama, was called schmaltz and that term seems to remain.
Choosing the Best Schmaltz
Making schmaltz at home might be the first best option. I checked a few grocery store’s webpages and found not all of them carry schmaltz. In your store, if it is carried, it might be in the chicken section of the meat cooler or in the frozen section with the Kosher chicken.
Several fat companies sell their products online. They can be a good, reliable source for schmaltz. Schmaltz should be off-white to almost golden in color. Online vendors and schmaltz producers may offer a few sizes of containers of schmaltz. Large containers might be a cost break per ounce. If you won’t use a 7 pound tub within six months and find the savings worth the purchase, melt it enough to containerize it into smaller jars and freeze.
In my town, the local butcher will collect chicken fat for me to render. Check with your local butcher. Grocery store meat counters tend to do little meat cutting. One store near me has surprised me a few times with amazing customer service, so asking is worth the time.
Storing Schmaltz
Schmaltz has more monounsaturated fats and less saturated fat than tallow, lard, or butter. Less saturated fat means it will not be solid at room temperature. Schmaltz left on the counter will remain opaque and still be pourable.
Monounsaturated fats are prone to oxidation which comes from light and room temperatures and causes foul flavors. Oxidation can lead to rancidity. Storing schmaltz in the refrigerator slows down that oxidation process.
Cold schmaltz will be solid but not firm. Clear as mud, I know. Schmaltz is relatively low in saturated fats, about 4 grams per tablespoon compared to just over 7 per tablespoon of butter. That difference means you can spoon out portions for cooking because it is not rigid and brittle like cold butter.
Schmaltz’s Shelf Life
Schmaltz at room temperature can oxidize quickly which can lead to off odors and flavors and, ultimately, rancidity. Worse for longevity is storing it near the stovetop.
Kept cool, except when being used for cooking, schmaltz can last up to six months. If you make more than several cups, keep it in a small jar for use and freeze the remaining jars. Frozen schmaltz can last for a year or more.
Commercially purchased schmaltz in unopened jars can be stored for some while. Cool, even temperatures will ensure the schmaltz remains wholesome. Commercial outfits have better rendering and straining processes than most home cooks which adds to shelf stability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to buy schmaltz?
Grocery stores in or near larger cities may be more likely to carry schmaltz. Even with increased awareness of animal fats’ health benefits, schmaltz does still carry a Jewish cultural association.
Online remains a consistently good choice with more than a few vendors and customer reviews.
Can you cook with schmaltz?
Please do. Generally, nearly all savory dishes benefit from schmaltz. For any dish that is chicken or benefits from a toasty chicken flavor, schmaltz is a benefit. Schmaltz’s high smoke point makes it a good fat for vegetable sautèing, homemade hash browns, or sautèed chicken breast.
What’s the smoke point of schmaltz?
Schmaltz’s smoke point is about 375° F. That’s not super hot. It is certainly hot enough for sautèing chicken or vegetables. If you have enough schmaltz, that smoke point is high enough for some mighty fine pan-fried chicken and fried green tomatoes.
Can you mix schmaltz with butter or cooking oil?
Fats can be combined. The chief reason for mixing fats is to enhance or lessen a specific flavor. Butter has a lower smoke point than schmaltz and it tastes great. Mixing the two may only minimally lessen the final smoke point and what is gained in flavor is worth the trade-off. A neutral oil like peanut oil can minimize the toasty chicken flavor of schmaltz and won’t reduce the smoke point.
How is schmaltz different from duck fat?
Schmaltz’s chief distinction is the source. Duck fat and chicken fat are rather similar in many areas. The significant — and this is substantial — difference is flavor. Duck fat has a decidedly duck flavor. Duck, unlike chicken, seems not to pair well with nearly everything. That could be a cultural quirk.
Why does my schmaltz smell weird when heated?
If your schmaltz doesn’t smell like toasty chicken when you’re heating it, there’s an excellent chance it has gone rancid. Warmed schmaltz’s aroma is a bit like a nose-hug, at least to me. It smells wonderful and inviting. Putrid aromas mean that it’s time to throw away that jar of schmaltz.
What are the best substitutes for schmaltz?
Duck fat or goose fat are excellent replacements for schmaltz. Lard has a neutral flavor and a good smoke point. Clarified butter, sometimes called Ghee, is a good replacement as is peanut oil. So-called seed oils may be a substitute for schmaltz, but may not be as beneficial to human health.