Definition

Noun: 1. Hard animal fat: A hard, white fat found specifically around the kidneys and loins of cattle and sheep. It has a high melting point and is used in cooking, especially in traditional British dishes and for making bird food.

Usage

Suet is a specific type of animal fat used primarily in cooking and food preparation. - It is a key ingredient in traditional recipes like steamed puddings, mincemeat, and pastry crusts. - It is also rendered (melted and purified) to make tallow. - In its raw or shredded form, it is commonly used to make high-energy food for wild birds.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "Suet pudding": A traditional steamed or boiled pudding, such as spotted dick or a steak and kidney pudding, that uses suet in the dough.
• "Suet crust": A type of pastry made with suet, known for being particularly rich and flaky.

Variants and Related Words

• Suety (adjective): Resembling or containing suet; having a fatty texture or appearance.
  • The gravy had a unpleasantly suety consistency.

Synonyms

• Tallow (Note: Tallow is the rendered, purified form of suet and other fats, often used for candles and soap. While related, it is not a perfect synonym for raw suet.)
• Animal fat
• Hard fat

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Suet cake: A block of solidified suet, often mixed with seeds or nuts, used as bird food.
• Vegetable suet: A modern, vegetarian alternative made from palm oil or other vegetable fats, designed to mimic the cooking properties of traditional suet.

Noun

1. hard fat around the kidneys and loins in beef and sheep