Preparation / Directions:
1. To render liquid fat from beef fat, cook it in a heavy saucepan over low heat, about 40 minutes or more. Discard pieces of fat which are left
over. Add an equal part of vegetable oil to beef fat in pan.
2. Cut unpeeled potatoes into long strips about 1/4- 3/8-inch wide. Soak in a large bowl of ice water for about 45 minutes. Arrange on paper
towels and carefully pat dry.
3. Heat oil mixture to 365 degrees. Add potatoes in batches so pan isn't crowded. Fry until they begin to look partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove and let oil return to 365 degrees. Return partially cooked fries and continue cooking until they are crisp and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.
NOTES FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE TEST KITCHEN: When we asked where to find the best french fries, no one suggested homemade ones, which start with fresh potatoes instead of a bag of frozen sticks. Making french fries from scratch is a mighty effort, raising the question of whether the end justifies the means, so the Tribune test kitchen endeavored to find an answer.
With no apologies to nutritionists, we decided to follow the conventional wisdom that beef fat is the best way to make good-tasting fries and to try using less saturated vegetable oil. We got beef fat from the butcher, a big bag of Idaho spuds and a bottle of vegetable oil to do some experimenting.
Some basic tenets we accepted as truth: The potatoes would be cut by hand with the peels on. They would be soaked in ice water for 45 minutes. They would be painstakingly patted dry. They would be fried twice. The wild cards: What's the best oil to use? Is it worth all the effort? Beef fat won hands down-no contest. Beef fat fries were crisp and delicate. They were not greasy and had a subtle taste. People said it smelled as if we were cooking Christmas dinner, which we took to mean they were used to standing rib roast for Christmas, not french fr
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