‘What’s in it?’: Man makes both Oscar Mayer and Costco bacon. Then he takes a look at the grease

A classic cooking tip involves saving parts of a dish that might otherwise be discarded to spice up your meal. While some may try to scrub off the fond left at the base of their pan after cooking, a chef might deglaze it with wine and turn it into a sauce.

While this does take a little more planning, practices like these can reduce waste while improving the quality of a dish.

However, some may find that holding onto these leftovers doesn’t always go as they’d expect, as recently noted by Reddit user u/wherethetacosat.

What’s the deal with this bacon grease?

In a post on Reddit’s r/mildlyinteresting, the Redditor shows two glasses that he says contain bacon grease. One glass contains bacon grease collected from Oscar Mayer bacon, while the other contains grease that he says he collected from Costco bacon.

He states in a comment that both brands of bacon were cooked using the same method. However, the results are dramatically different. After 36 hours in the refrigerator, the Oscar Mayer bacon grease is clear and has not solidified, while the Costco bacon grease is now solid and opaque. 

Immediately, commenters began questioning why this was the case. One of the most prominent theories is that the pig’s diet can impact the quality of the fat rendered.

“If pigs are fed a diet that contains high levels of polyunsaturated fats they will pass it into their own fat and make their bacon grease like this: it is more oil than fat at this point,” wrote one user.

“It's mostly about the saturation levels of the fat, where commercially raised pigs (like Oscar Meyer sources from) are typically fed diets high in corn/soy that produce more polyunsaturated fats with lower melting points, while pasture-raised pigs (likley used for Costco's higher-end bacon) produce more saturated fats that solidfy easily at refrigerator tempertures,” offered another.

But are these claims true?

What affects a pig’s bacon grease?

A pig’s diet can influence its fat content—and, therefore, how its resultant fat behaves while cooking.

According to Kansas State University’s Animal Sciences and Industry department, pigs deposit fat in the “same fatty acid profile” as their dietary fat. When a pig consumes a diet rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as one with fats sourced from vegetables, it can “increase the iodine value and softness of carcass fat.” This can be a problem for pork producers, as excessively soft fat can make the slicing of bacon difficult.

As for whether this has an impact on bacon fat’s ability to solidify is unclear, though many insist that this is the case. 

This isn’t universally agreed upon, however. In another thread discussing the image, one user suggested that the non-solidified grease was not grease at all.

“The cup on the left appears to be collagen-rich juice from the marinade. The fat layer would have the broth intermixed with which would create a smother texture,” explained a user. “If the fat on top was rendered, then it would be the same as the one on the right.”

Higher water content?

Others shared theories that the clearer grease simply had a higher water content, which could explain why it looked and behaved the way that it did.

If one wants to ensure that their bacon fat is properly rendered, they should cook the bacon on low or medium heat. Then they should pour the resultant fat through a sieve or cheesecloth to remove all remaining impurities. From there, they can store the fat in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three months.

The Daily Dot reached out to Costco via media relations contact form, Oscar Mayer via Kraft Heinz press email, and u/wherethetacosat via Reddit chat.

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