Something a bit different today. Venturing into the domestic arts, I have formed a union between cow, pig, bbq, cooking and enlightenment. Inspired by Jim's tweet regarding the desire to have a bacon-scented candle, this is my brainchild (the kid helped put them together and the wife came up with the name at dinner last night).
All you low 'n slow guys out there should have a stash of pork fat from all those pork butts. It's a pretty soft fat, but smoked and wonderful with a nice color and crunchy bits. It's soft though, not perfect for a candle. Tallow, rendered suet, however, is pretty firm and standard for making candles. Taking a 2:1 (w/w) tallow to pork fat (bits and all) mixture into plastic dixie cups and melting it in a hot water bath, followed by placing a wick inside each provided an adequate candle (snip off the plastic dixie cup). I think we got a trace of water dissolved in the fat, because there is a bit of sizzle when they burn (bonus!). Listen carefully to the video. Unfortuately, they don't smell as wonderful as bacon, so next time the source of pork fat will be bacon instead of pork butt.
So, decent candle, good source of fat for sauteeing lentils or finding your way around the house when the apocalypse happens, but, keep in the fridge. I think they may go rancid quickly. Warm to room temperature before serving.
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