Can anyone tell me if you can buy suet here in switzerland ? I want to cook an old fashioned ENGLISH stew for my wife but i need suet for the dumplings Please Please help me !
It is called Talg and you would need to ask a butcher but you can substitute one for one with cocunut fat which you can find here in blocks and its great for veggies or with cold butter or cold lard (Schmalz)
Suet is always a tought one for UK residents to find in Switzerland...In addition to what Richard offered, you can also go to a butcher and ask for Nierenfett von Schwein - this is the fat that surrounds the kidney (or suet). If you are just making dumplings, there are a number of other items you can use....including butter (just smear it into the batter), vegetable fat, coconut fat (available in health food locations - although it isn't very healthy), or pork fat (you can buy pork fat in Jelmoli...it is located all the way at the end of the meat section near the checkout in a separate refrigerated location and away from the meat...it is in a plastic container of either 500 gr. or 1 kg.
If I were you...I would recommend the pork fat solution unless you feel like dealing with a butcher and asking for the Nierenfett....
Further info...I was just in Coop, and I noticed they are now selling 'Schweinefett' - it is near the eggs, margerine, butter, etc...They are in 1kg. tubes (important for all those who are dieting)...
There is no substitute for suet, not butter, not coconut fat... Spades are spades and suet is suet. Ai caramba, steak and kidney pudding in coconut fat padding pastry, spotted dick with coconut pastry, maybe. Go and get yourself Talg, from beef fat... do not **** with the sanctity of the pudding dumpling.
It is really nice to know there are others out there who are so passionate about food and food traditions! With respect to your comment, I am quite interested to know if one can buy real Suet in Switzerland (specifically Zürich)
I am new in CH ZH, and have no idea where in ZH to buy suet, other than someone's earlier suggestion of going to butcher and asking for the fat around the kidneys.
If I was in dire need of suet, I'd get someone to send me some from the UK. Alternatively, I'd be surprised if graisse de rognon couldn't be found in the French part somewhere... I've heard that there is a new (I think) shop in ZH specialising in food from Geneva, maybe they stock, or could get suet ( graisse de rognon )
Thanks Gooner...I'll have a chat with a few butchers and see what they think...I suspect everyone will tell me that fat from beef is not possible, but from pork it would be (the German part of CH is very much Pork-centric). I've never cooked with beef fat, but I have used (extensively) other types of animal fat - pork, goose, duck, chicken, etc... What would be the main difference in the UK recipes if one were to substitute another type of animal fat (except of course the flavor)?
I just asked my butcher for beef fat - he was a bit surprised until I said I'd lived in the UK a long time! He got me a big lump and gave it for free as I was buying a few other bits and pieces. I half froze it so I could grate it easily. Fab.
For English recipes I find clarified butter works just as well and tastes better. Put some in the freezer and then grate it into a bowl of flour. This is NOT the same as normal regular table butter!
Migros sell Bratbutter in small portions, 250g box with green label, the box looks like a margarine box. It doesn't need refrigerating and is kept near the cooking oils.
For large portions, Coop sell 1 Kg of Bratbutter near the butter, top of the fridge.
Indian grocers sell Ghee in 7 pound tins, which is also clarified butter.
You can make your own suet by rendering beef fat at a low oven temperature, cooling it, grating it, and covering it in flour.
You can, of course, make your own simply by ordering some beef fat at your local butchery in advance. You can then render it by simmering at low heat until it stops steaming. Strain it and you are left with the pure fat.
I should also like to thank some of the posters for the useful tips as to alternatives.