About Cooking Grease

Any lipid, whether it is solid of liquid at room temperature, that can be used in the process of making food can be considered cooking grease. Grease in general has gotten a bad rap in the last several decades, due to its overuse and abuse in certain types of cooking, but that doesn't mean that all grease is bad. In order to cook certain types of foods, it is necessary, and when used in the right way, can have many benefits you may not have thought of.

Function

The main function of any type of grease, fat or lipid in cooking is to add fat, plain and simple. While we have been trained to think that this is a bad thing, most recipes must have a certain amount of fat to hold themselves together. Take mayonnaise, for example. Mayo is made by initiating a chemical reaction between a protein (egg yolk) and a fat (in most cases, vegetable oil). Together without any agitation, the two stand apart and don't mix well, but once they are whisked together vigorously, the lecithin in the egg yolk acts as a sort of net to hold the fat cells in a new, emulsified formation, thus turning the once runny oil into a thick and creamy spread. Fat is also used for frying. Not just deep frying, either; without fat of some kind, skillets around the world would have pounds of stuck on beef, fish and chicken stuck to them permanently. The grease acts as a protective barrier between the cooking surface and the food, allowing the food to reach the right temperature to cook, but protecting the surface of the food from bonding with the cooking surface at high heat.

Types

Modern doctors around the world agree that there are healthy fats, or greases, and unhealthy fats. Of the healthy fats, there are monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and Omega-3 fatty acids. The monounsaturated fats tend to stay in a liquid form when they are close to room temperature, but will start to harden up once they begin to cool. The most popular of these is olive oil, but peanut oil is also a monounsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated fats are oils that are liquid in room temperature, but will stay liquid when cooled, as well. These are oils that most people think of as "lighter oils," like canola and flaxseed. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that are found in fish. Of the unhealthy fats, there are saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats occur naturally and are okay in small amounts, but it's easy to overdo them pretty quickly. They are solid at room temperature include all fats in animal products like beef, dairy and poultry. Trans fats are man made and are not good under any circumstances. They are fats that have been hydrogenated in order to prolong their shelf life, and are found in fast food and many store bought sweets.

Geography

Cooking grease use around the world varies due to what is available to cooks in those specific areas. Italy is the best example of how, even within one country, the type of cooking grease used from one area to another differs greatly. In the northern Italian province of Piemonte, the local cuisine is known for two things primarily: white truffles and butter. In fact, a signature dish at almost any Piemontese trattoria in the fall during the white truffle harvest is tagliatelle dressed simply with shaved white truffles and melted butter. Olives do not grow well in the climate of northern Italy and cows are plentiful, but in the south, it is the other way around. There are hardly any cows at all, and the Mediterranean climate is perfect for olives. The middle and southern parts of Italy are famous for their olive oils, because of this. It is customary to find a dish in Naples that consists of nothing more than linguini, fresh tomatoes, basil and olive oil. You would be hard pressed to find a dish of butter anywhere in this area.

Warning

While fat adds flavor to any dish, it is important to remember, as noted before, that there are good and bad fats. Bad fats are generally either derived from an animal product, or are man-manipulated. In any animal derived lipid, there is an inherent amount of cholesterol. Some animals have more, and some less, but it is always there. If there is too much, it cannot be processed by your body and settles in your arteries. Over time, a build up can occur and cause serious problems for your heart and circulatory system, in general. Obesity has become an epidemic in this country, and trans fats have become a staple in much of the cheap and easy cuisine that we have become accustomed to. This type of fat is harder to burn off, and stores itself as fat deposits in your body. Aside from circulatory problems, major weight gain can cause problems with posture and bone health as well.

Benefits

It isn't all gloom and doom with cooking greases and fats, however. Good fats are an integral part of any healthy diet, and can even help prolong your life. Replacing bad fats with good fats raises your good cholesterol and helps lower your bad cholesterol. Fat is energy, waiting to be spent, and just like gas in a car, if you fill up with good, clean fuel, you will run much better. Your chances of a heart attack or a stroke decrease every time you use a good fat instead of a bad fat, and there are enough choices out there that there is certain to be one that appeals to you.