The concept of "fat" very often scares people and misleads them. Many are afraid of this product as fire. However, it must be present in the diet of every person, albeit in small quantities and not daily. Ghee beef fat is the most common animal fat eaten. It has a unique chemical composition, enriched with a huge amount of fatty acids. How do you get it? Is it useful or harmful? Where is it used? All this and much more will be discussed in the article.
Beef fat and its varieties
First, let's try to understand the concepts. As a rule, fat is a dense, pale white product, which is obtained by processing the cow's renal fat. There are two types of fat:
- raw beef fat or fat, it is removed from unfrozen carcasses;
- ghee is a ready-to-eat product obtained from the processing of fat.
The color and taste of the product depend on the location of the fat and the age of the animal. For example, the resulting fat from internal organs is more gray in color and sometimes has a rather unpleasant odor.
Getting
In order to obtain a melted product from fat, the carcass of the animal is cooled, the fat is cut, washed, crushed, and only then reheated. Moreover, this process is carried out in two stages. The fat that is melted for the first time is called the first juice. The fusible part is separated from it, the remaining mass is a first-class variety. It is usually used in cooking for frying. This is a high-quality variety, it has a lower melting point, pleasant smell and taste.
From internal (fresh) fat, premium fat is prepared. Its color is usually yellow or light yellow, but when melted it becomes transparent. Top grade has a solid consistency, it is characterized by the absence of smell and taste.
When melting raw lard, they get the first grade of beef fat. In color and consistency, it does not differ from the highest grade, but it has a taste of greaves.
Second-grade fat is made from benign internal fresh fat. Its color is a little grayish, there is a smell and taste of greaves. When melted, it is not completely transparent.
Structure
Beef fat contains fatty acids, ash products, cholesterol, beta-keratin, potassium, sodium, copper, manganese, phosphorus, carbohydrates, proteins.
Its caloric content is 100 kcal per 100 grams of product.
It is enriched with trace elements in the form of selenium, iron, copper, zinc. Ghee beef is good for teeth, skin, bones, and internal organs.
It is enriched with vitamins A, E, H, D.
Benefit
Animal fats (within reasonable limits) increase the body's immunity and resistance to viruses, promote hair growth, and strengthen bone tissue and teeth. Animal fats are especially beneficial for children who receive vitamins D and A.
The cholesterol present in fat, also in reasonable amounts, is useful for children and adults, it serves as an insulating substance that surrounds the nerves of the brain and spinal cord, and produces bile acids that help to absorb fats. Cholesterol promotes the production of hormones by the adrenal glands that accelerate the absorption of phosphorus and calcium.
Ghee beef fat improves digestion, has a mild laxative effect, helps to heal bone disorders in the joints, and promotes metabolic processes in the human body.
Since ancient times, doctors have advised to include this product in the diet with fainting, hearing loss, mental illness.
Beef internal fat is used in the preparation of cosmetics and medicines, very often it is used in folk medicine for the preparation of all kinds of ointments, as well as in the treatment of bronchitis, cough, for healing cracks in the feet and heels. In cosmetology, it is used in the winter to moisturize the skin, make masks to strengthen the hair.
Harm
Despite the benefits of beef tallow, there are contraindications. Limit the amount of fat consumed in food for atherosclerosis. It is necessary to completely abandon it with diseases of the kidneys, liver and gall bladder, with gastritis, with increased acidity of gastric juice.
Uncontrolled eating fried foods leads to an increase in cholesterol in the body, which leads to diseases of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal diseases.
Since the melting temperature of fat is higher than the temperature of the human body, its digestibility is difficult, which can harm the stomach and intestines. About 50% of the body’s energy is spent on beef digestion. Those residues of fat that are not processed, accumulate in the colon, where putrefactive bacteria that poison our body begin to grow. In addition, beef treated with antibiotics or drugs with hormones is also a danger.
Helpful information
World-famous culinary experts give the following recommendations:
- melted beef fat is more suitable for cooking vegetables, meat dishes and cereals;
- it should not be frozen, because when exposed to cold, all useful properties are lost;
- it should be prepared only from fresh carcasses of the animal.
Application
Extra fat is used in cooking for preparing meat dishes or for deep-frying foods. Dishes cooked in beef fat are healthy. Many use it to grease baking trays when baking.
This type of animal fat is not suitable for dietary nutrition and for people who want to lose weight, as the product is very high-calorie.
Beef fat is successfully used in folk medicine and in cosmetology. For example, in hair care. Many women prepare a mask that strengthens and nourishes the hair roots. The recipe for such a mask is very simple: you need about 200 grams of fat and a small amount of water, over low heat, completely evaporate the water, and strain the remaining mass and rub into the hair roots, wrap your head. Rinse off the mask with warm water and shampoo.
It should be remembered that any product that can harm your body. Therefore, you should treat your diet very carefully and carefully. It is advisable to seek the advice of a nutritionist so that the food is not only tasty, but also healthy.