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Caul Fat Supplier in DC?


gastronaut

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I'm in search of Caul Fat for some home charcuterie. Anyone know of a DC area place to buy it?

We asked at The Springfield Butcher, and they said "what's that?" then "we can order it for you"; not promising. :-(

I can mailorder it from Niman Ranch, but can't find a shipping price and bet it's extortionate.

Thanks.

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The shipping (as I just found out) is $34, so you are correct in fearing that the FedEx is more expensive than the fat.

A few of us have had an eye or two out for caul fat for several years; it has never been reported available locally. I, for one, might be interested in going in with you, getting a block of the stuff myself and splitting the shipping (which I suspect rises very little with the addition of another order) costs. We can meet (or meat, ha ha) at some dive bar to make a tradeoff, assuming that the miles between locations are not overwhelming.

Apparently, Niemans delivers to this area by two-day air, for Wednesday arrival (only), so orders would have to be placed by Sunday if you want pate for Christmas but are not keen on cooking Christmas Eve.

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I'd be up for that. Hell, given that Nieman wants $20 for 2.5 lbs plus that $34 shipping tab, I'll buy the whole 15 pound block and resell it at Nieman Markups to Heather, Gastronaught and the rest when they need some.

One question: once thawed, can it be refrozen? And, if not, how long does it keep?

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One question: once thawed, can it be refrozen? And, if not, how long does it keep?

I have refrozen it and used it at a later time.

Of course, generally the food police don't like you freezing/thawing/freezing/thawing.

It is FAT, mostly, so there is not huge loss in its quality.

I find it keeps quite well.

If you want to pay me more for the Caul, don't let me stop you :lol:!

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Stachowski sometimes wraps his terrines in bacon. Any thoughts on why caul fat is preferable to bacon?
I would not say that one is preferable over the other I just think that they meet different needs. One reason to use caul is simple, it does not taste like bacon, actually doesn't taste like anything, it just adds the fattiness to the dish. While I believe that with very few exceptions the inclusion of bacon makes life better sometimes you don't want either the smokiness or the texture on a terrine as it might overpower the underlining flavor, or just match what you are trying to do. Another reason why I would use caul is its flexibility, I can cover an entire terrine with part of a piece with little or no fuss.
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