Greasy stew

Why it happened

• A fatty cut. Oxtail, short rib, belly, shoulder and lamb breast all render a great deal. This is a feature rather than a fault — those cuts are chosen for it.
• Not browned and drained first. Browning in batches and pouring off the rendered fat before building the braise removes a great deal of it.
• Too much added fat at the start, on top of what the meat will give.
• Fatty stock, particularly a home-made one that was not chilled and skimmed.
• Boiled rather than simmered, which emulsifies some fat into the liquid and makes it cloudy as well as greasy.
• Mutton or lamb, whose fat sets harder and is more noticeable when the dish cools on the plate.

The overnight method, which is much the best

1. Cook the stew and let it cool.
2. Refrigerate it overnight, uncovered until cold and then covered — cooling and storage are food-safety matters, so follow Food Standards Agency guidance.
3. The fat sets into a solid sheet on the surface.
4. Lift it off in one piece with a spoon or your fingers. Far more comes away than any amount of hot skimming.
5. Keep the fat. Strained beef or lamb dripping is excellent for roast potatoes.
6. Reheat the stew gently. It will taste better than it did the day before for reasons that have nothing to do with the fat.

If you have to serve it now

• Take the pan off the heat and let it stand for five minutes. The fat rises and gathers.
• Tilt the pan and spoon the fat off from the shallow edge where it collects.
• Drag a ladle across the surface, rim just below the liquid, letting the fat run in.
• Lay kitchen paper flat on the surface and lift it off. Repeat with fresh sheets. Crude and effective.
• Drop in a few ice cubes briefly. Fat congeals on them and they can be lifted straight out.
• A fat separator jug if you have one, for a stew you can decant.
• Lift the meat out first, defat the liquid, then return it. Easier than working around solids.

When it is not actually a problem

Some fat is the dish

A goulash, a rendang or a rogan josh is expected to have oil separating at the surface. It is a sign it is finished.

Curries

Many Indian curries are considered done when the oil separates and pools. Skimming them off entirely removes the point.

A thin slick

Normal in almost any braise and carries a great deal of the flavour.

A thick layer

The version worth removing.

Cold on the plate

Animal fat sets as it cools. Warm plates make a real difference to a fatty stew.

Serve it with something acidic

A pickle, a sharp chutney or a squeeze of lemon cuts the perception of fat considerably.

Common questions