h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Tell her thanks very much from me, three dogs, and umpteem starlings and sparrows.

*So* many starlings here, couldn't see my grass at one time, dozens of them all after two slices of fried bread.

I'll clean out my grill this weekend and make a birdfood pie too

I tie up my fat balls with string,and hang them from trees (omg that's something I never thought I'd be writing) and the dogs love leaping up to try to eat them. Naturally, I call them to heel

I can't wait to cook something else dripping in fat so that I can make some more.

Actually I might just chuck the fat onto the grass and let the dogs spend their time clearing it up. They need something to keep them busy!

Yuk, don't do that. The dogs will be sick, and the fat could attract the rats

I was just about to ask a silly question of why is dripping called dripping. When clearly it is the fat that DRIPS from the roasting joint.
I haven't actually seen dripping keeped in a bowl for long time, maybe 20 years from when my mum used to cook sunday roasts.
If I remember correctly the fat used to form a layer on top with the "jelly" underneath, which I think was a light brown colour and wobbly like a jelly unsurprisingly.
Not actually sure what the jelly was made of though...

fantastic idea - I usually don't wash my pans, just wipe them with kitchen roll but I think that's quite wasteful. I'll try the bread thing too.

oh and at the idea of chucking out beef dripping! (another Yorkshire girl)

The jelly was semi-solidified meat juices. I guess there was some natural gelatine-like substance in there.

When I was a kid I loved dripping toast. Toast, dripping (preferably with a bit of the 'jelly'), a bit of salt. Delicious!

I like a thick dorstop of white bread liberally sprinkled with Henderson's relish, spread with the dripping with some jelly on the top, and a light sprinkling of salt

I haven't eaten it in about... 20 years.

What's Henderson's relish ?

Is it like Branstons or Piccalilli or something else

AhemA12460619

You *do* all know where gelatin comes from, don't you?

Well, in case you don't, you boil up beef bones. So, it should come as no surpirse that if you're roasting a piece of beef, particularly if it's on the bone (which you should, for additional flavour) you'll get a jelly-like substance in the juices. The same thing happens to a lesser extent with (whole) poultry, and lamb - indeed, anything with bones in.

RF

Ooh Henderson's relish, used to make a mean veggie Shepherds Pie (with yukky TVP) (in my veggie days)

Ah, what else is your secret for good Shepherd's Pie? (I have mine, I *may* be persuaded to part with it...if you're lucky! )

RF

Not a secret as such, but they should have cheese on top and browned under grill, well I like them like that anyway.

Thank you, Deakie

Fresh mint, dash of cumin and a bay leaf.

... or did we really mean Cottage Pie