I’m wondering if anyone knows how to make UNTO?
I’ve got a number of Galician recipes (to include Caldo Gallego) that call for unto. Unfortunately it’s not available in the USA. But since it’s cured pig fat I’m hoping someone may have made it and will share their process.
Even with my considerable array of regional cookbooks, I have nothing to offer in the way of a process...BUT I do have (to my mind, from experience) a reasonably easy substitute. Here goes:
1) Save bacon grease in your refrigerator until you have about a pint or so.
2) Warm that pint of bacon grease and, after warming to "scoopable" temp, spoon it into a quart of water in a large sauce pan.
3) Bring the mix to a rolling boil for about a minute then reduce heat to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. No stirring required.
4) Take off the heat and, once at room temperature, get it cold. (Refrigerator or overnight in a protected area outside when temperatures are below 45 deg F.
5) Once cold, it is easy to lift the fat layer off the water. Place that layer, watery side down on paper toweling for a moment to get the water off.
6) Place the fat into a clean jar and put in the refrigerator for use.
It is not a perfect substitution but, measure for measure in a recipe, it will get you close. You can always add a touch of salt or liquid smoke (need for the latter would be a great surprise!) if you wish.
It provides that '
je ne sais quoi' to Caldo and braising of vegetables. I even use it to brighten our Christmas Eve "Cullen Skink" .....though I have known some kitchen barbarians to use a bit of bacon.
B