Caul fat.

[osprey]

On The Great British Menu recently, Antony Worrell Thompson did a recipe where he wrapped oxtail in CAUL FAT. I have asked in all my local butchers and they all say that it is no longer available due to stricter Government guidlines regarding intestinal food stuff. Can anyone enlighten me as to where it could be purchased. I live in South Wales.

[SaxyJag]

Well, ancient folklore in fishing and seaside communities says that a child 'born in a caul' will never drown. The caul is the mucous-y sac that's wrapped around the little one when it's born, and that has to be broken so that the child/animal can breath.

I would hazard a guess that caul fat is some kind of biproduct of the caul itself.

[nickmo]

Try another butcher - and you can get pork caul as well rather than beef if there is any question about bse or whatever in the mind of the butcher.

Regs cover the supply of rendered fats and by products. the butcher would need to have supplier that has prmises that comply to the meat products hygiene regulations, which means seperate storage for these products from basically the meat.

You should be able to get caul fat by asking at a couple of other butchers locally as they are likely to use different abbatoirs/suppliers.

Also try your local meat producers at hte farmers' market - list of Welsh markets here: http://www.fmiw.co.uk/?function=news&news=866 and speak to the beef or pork guys and they will advise you, or search the suppliers online from the site.

[nickmo]

Hi saxyjag - in case you wondered, its not really from the foetus, - caul fat is the name given to the membrane of fat that surrounds the internal organs of an animal.

It comes in thin sheets and is used to line terrines, wrap faggots, make sausage skins the traditional way. Called crepinettes in France. The fat is really light and thin and dissolves on cooking but keeps the meat etc in shape for the dish. Good traditional butchers should be able to get it with notice. Worth using ala AWT as it is not a pecuiliar ingredient or unpleasant stuff, and does the 'proper' job.

[SaxyJag]

I think then, nickmo, there must be a difference between the two (ie a 'caul' is not the same as the part of the body that 'caul fat' comes from) - or is that what you meant and I'm just hungover?

Just that I read a (fantasy-ish) book recently where a girl helped a fairy queen to give birth and had to 'break the caul' so that the child could begin to breath. As a reward, the girl was given the caul as a charm to ward off evil.

[nickmo]

Hi saxyjag - quite right re the foetal sac (as in Wikipedia on a search http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caul ) but in cookery the same name is for the layer of fat that sits between the abdominal cavity and the internal organs.

This connective tissue in the omentum or stomach and intestines area is the caul fat and when cooked it melts away - most often turns up in terrines but as in the Q it will keep the 'shape' of meats. It can leave a rather glutinous texture, so if you make a pate etc remove it beforee serving is one suggeation if the texture is not to everyones liking.

If you 'get into' ingredients have a look at : http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/ has a bunch of stuff on food and source of products.

Sorry osprey - nicked the thread...