Wagyu Fat Caramels
Mat Lindsay & O Tama Carey
Mat Lindsay & O Tama Carey
Sydney chefs Mat Lindsay (Ester, Poly) and O Tama Carey (Lankan Filling Station) are leading lights in the Australian culinary world. Mat is known for his honest, flavourful fire-focused cooking and O Tama for her journey of discovery with Sri Lankan food.
It might surprise you to think of it, but beef fat has a proud history on the dessert trolley – just think of the suet that gives puddings and mince pies their lightness at Christmas. These wagyu fat caramels are every bit as delicious.
Ingredients
Rendering
Rendering
½ cup raw wagyu fat, chopped
Caramels
Caramels
1 cup pouring cream
65 g (2.3 oz) rendered tallow, from raw fat, above
350 g (12.3 oz) caster sugar
80 grams (2.8 oz) glucose
3 tsp fine sea salt flakes
Method
Rendering
Place raw chopped fat in a saucepan and add a splash of water. Render over very low heat for 3 hours, or until fat has separated, melted and is clear and glossy. Strain, retaining liquid fat. This is your tallow.
Caramels
Melt tallow (beef fat) and cream in a small saucepan stirring over gentle heat, then set aside.
Put glucose, sugar and just enough water to moisten the sugar in a deep pot, and bring to the boil without stirring until it reaches 160C / 320F on a sugar thermometer.
Take the glucose and sugar mixture off the heat and stir in the cream and fat.
Heat the mixture, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t catch, till it reaches 121C / 250F, then stir in half the salt.
Pour the caramel into a tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle the remaining salt over the top.
Sit uncovered at room temperature until it cools by which stage it should be set, about 40 minutes.
Cut with a hot knife into bite-sized pieces.
Caramels can be kept for at least a week in an airtight container.
