Is the beef suet used in pastry recipes cooked or uncooked?

Question

I am using a pastry recipe that calls for shredded beef suet. My butcher gave me raw, uncooked beef suet. Prior to using it, do I need to melt(boil) and refridgerate the beef suet?

Answer 1

I am a former chef and you do not need to boil it, but for a flakey pastry for savoury pies or puddings, if it is chilled it melts slower and makes a better crust.

Suet is the fat from around the kidneys in a beef cattle, I use it for Xmas pudding, Spotted D**k, savourys like steak and kidney pie, pudding, steak and mushroom or steak and oyster pies.

While it is a good fat for cooking, it is not exactly dietetic, but the use used portion can be frozen until the enxt time, that is how I find it here in my shops in Canada. But it finely chopped almost a ground texture.

Answer 2

No you don't need to cook it, or melt it. Most recipes call for raw suet, grate the required amount and use as per the receipe.

Answer 3

The suet would be used raw. Once you start to heat it, it will break down into a liquid form. So, if the recipe calls for "shredded" suet, it's calling for the raw form.

Pete

Answer 4

No, it isn't cooked, and yes you can use it raw, as long as it has no other impurities. If it has, just melt it at as low temp as you can and sieve it, then let it cool down in a solid block, and grate, now it's ready for use.

Answer 5

i use Atora suet boxed and ready to use no need to refrigerate, but if you got it from the butcher i would refrigerate and use when you need to no don't boil it just add it in with other dry ingredients.

Answer 6

No need to melt. Grate it and use it.

Answer 7

Jetset is exactly right.