The list of food products is so wide that it can be very difficult to list them, especially considering the gastronomic preferences of various ethnic groups. In our article we will discuss one of the rather exotic products - lamb fat (or fat tail), which is not so common in the territory of Ukraine and the Russian Federation, as in some other countries of the world. Should I believe the benefits of such an unusual culinary ingredient and how it can be used for medical purposes - read on.
Chemical composition
If you look at this product from the "inner" side, you will notice a very rich chemical composition, represented by vitamins of group B, vitamins A and E, as well as fatty essential substances (in particular, sterol and phosphatide), carotene, caprin, laurin, selenium , magnesium, copper and zinc.
Together, these components guarantee the normal functioning of the body, proper metabolic processes and protection from the harmful effects of the environment.
Discover the beneficial properties of goose fat.
The calorie content of mutton fat is quite high and amounts to 897 kcal per 100 g of product. There are no proteins and carbohydrates here at all, but fat is as much as 97% (the remaining 3% is water). Moreover, the saturated fat here is more than in the usual pig and beef fat. 
What is useful mutton fat
The interrelation of all the listed components provides enormous benefits for humans, even more than other animal products.
This is not difficult to verify, just by looking at the effect of a fatty product on different systems and functions of the body:
- Reproductive system. In large quantities, saturated fatty acids can harm a person, but in small doses they are necessary, as they normalize the general hormones, preventing the development of impotence in men and infertility in women.
- Brain activity. A large amount of vitamin B1 - a real find for people engaged in hard mental labor. It has a good effect on memory and analytical capabilities, preserves brain cells and prevents their aging.
- It is possible to strengthen the immune forces of the body thanks to vitamin A, which is part of lamb fat. People who regularly use the product for culinary purposes are less likely to suffer from colds and quickly get rid of existing diseases.
- Bodies of sight. It should be noted a positive impact on the activity of visual analyzers and improved blood supply, thereby maintaining visual acuity.
In addition, the antioxidants present in the product accelerate the body's regenerative processes and significantly reduce the risk of oncological diseases. It is not for nothing that the wise men of eastern countries call mutton fat a “storehouse of youth,” considering it a good source of energy.
Important! Even despite its high calorie content, the product is very well absorbed and does not overload the human digestive system. However, a small amount will be enough to saturate the body and replenish its lost energy.
In addition to all the benefits, mutton fat protects a person from ultraviolet radiation and maintains natural beauty.
How to use mutton fat in cooking
In our country, the described product rarely occupies an honorable place on the kitchen shelves, but at the same time there are many dishes prepared with its participation (most of them are not only healthy, but also very tasty).
In which countries is popular
Lamb fat was particularly popular in Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Turkmen, Tajiks and representatives of other eastern nations. All of them use it both in raw and reheated form, in particular, for roasting various meat and vegetable dishes.
In the liquid state, the product is excellent for baking, although it can often be added to tea or other beverages. Such a drink will be especially useful in the cold season, as it not only warms, gives the body strength, but also increases its resistance to colds. 
If desired, you can also use mutton fat as an independent product, or you can add to it other vegetable or animal fats, which will only complement the taste of the dishes you are cooking.
Did you know? Even if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, 50 g of fat per day will not cause weight gain, but will saturate the body with the energy it needs. After the age of 40 years, this product will prevent constipation and promote the removal of bile from the body.
What dishes are prepared on it
The first and most famous dish prepared using the described fatty product is traditional Uzbek pilaf, which with its presence acquires a special aroma and good taste.
Shish kebab made from offal does not do without such a component, but for this purpose fat is used only for frying, which makes the dish soft, with more pleasant taste.
Video: recipe of cooking pilaf in lamb fat
Other popular Asian dishes that use this product are:
- puff cake with onions and meat;
- kebabi;
- Tatar-style noodles cooked in a slow cooker;
- Balice cake;
- samsa;
- lamb skewers.
In addition to these delicacies, many others can be prepared by simply replacing the similar fatty components of animal origin with lamb fat.
Recipes of traditional medicine
Non-traditional medicine boasts an abundance of recipes, including with the participation of animal raw materials, and given the huge benefits of lamb fat, it is not surprising that it became one of the main components in the preparation of effective drugs for a variety of ailments. 
When coughing
With a strong cough, folk healers recommend using one of two possible uses of this product: as an external remedy or as a drink.
For the treatment of cough in traditional medicine also use the kidneys of pine, parsnip, ground reed, ivy, blue cyanosis, soapworm, white mar, horseradish and radish with honey.
In its simplest form, melted medicine is used for compresses or rubbing, although a drink prepared from equal parts of milk, honey and fat itself will be an equally effective means.
In the latter case, before use, the mixture is preferably heated in a water bath until all components are completely dissolved. This composition fights dry and wet cough and can even help with bronchitis.
Important! At high temperatures, the use of "fat" drink is highly undesirable, as it can only aggravate the situation.
Another possible use of lamb fat in the fight against cough is this recipe: for 200 g of the product take 250 g of honey and 4-5 finely chopped leaves of the tree aloea, all is well mixed and put the mixture in a clean tightly closed jar.
The finished drug can be stored in the refrigerator (and for quite a long time), and it should be consumed three times a day in a tablespoon before the main meal. To enhance the taste, you can add a tablespoon of cocoa, only it must be of high quality.
We advise you to get acquainted with the beneficial properties of chestnut, linden, linden, coriander, mountain, hawthorn, rapeseed, buckwheat, coriander, acacia, esparcetium, phacelia, cotton, sweet clover honey.
For preventive purposes, the same composition is consumed by 0.5 tablespoon 2-3 times a day, half an hour before meals.
For pain in the joints
To eliminate joint pain, only unsalted mutton fat is used, which is applied with a thick layer on the affected areas of the body and is additionally wrapped with food film.
To ensure proper warming effect, it is recommended to wrap the limb with a woolen scarf, leaving it for the next week. Once every few days, the old fat is replaced by a new one, while still wearing a compress.
If you cannot afford to wear a bandage daily, then melted, necessarily warm, fat should be rubbed into the sore spot every day for a month, performing this procedure mainly at night and additionally using a wool scarf for warming.
With varicose veins
In case of varicose veins, the greasy product is cut into thin small pieces and applied to the sore spot, wrapping polyethylene over the top and then with a woolen scarf or scarf. Two such compresses per day are enough, and within a few weeks the veins will become less noticeable and will almost completely stop hurting.
To relieve pain in the joints, use tools based on autumn crocus, Caucasian freezer, sunflower root, plectrantus, white clover, as well as tincture of horse chestnut.
From heel spurs
To cope with this unpleasant problem will help a mixture of whole raw eggs (in the shell) with 100 grams of mutton fat and the same amount of acetic essence. 
Before use, it is desirable to leave the medicine in a dark place for a day, and then you can moisten a tampon in it and apply it to the spur in the form of a compress, putting on a sock. With regular use (every day at night) after a week heels will become soft and smooth.
From the wen
In the fight against the wen, you will not have to prepare a medicine based on lamb fat for a long time. All that is needed is to melt a teaspoon of the product, cool it a little and daily lubricate the bulge, until it disappears completely.
How to use in cosmetology
Useful properties of mutton fat did not go unnoticed by cosmetologists. World famous brands often use it as one of the main ingredients for their products, in particular, creams, masks and even shampoos. The main benefit of the product is its positive effect on the skin, which, with regular use of the product, is quickly smoothed and rejuvenated. 
In addition, the rump is able to protect the skin from the effects of frost, so that masks made on its basis for the face will be particularly relevant in the winter. Consider a few recipes for creating such homemade cosmetics.
Option 1. For good growth and strengthening of hair, you can prepare an ointment from a mixture of mutton and pork fat (350 g each) and powder of table salt (120 g). After thorough mixing, all ingredients are placed in a water bath and heated well, stirring constantly.
To strengthen the hair in traditional medicine they also use chives, nasturtium, black cumin oil, lagenaria, birch buds, bitter pepper, bergamot, sedge, jujube, nettle, onions and mustard.
In the resulting homogeneous composition, add 120 g of parsley seeds, 15 g of dill seed powder and mix everything well again, leaving the container with all the contents in the same water bath.
After boiling, you can pour the ointment in jars and send it in the fridge to rub it into bed for 10-15 minutes later (the procedure should be performed daily). After such a mask, greasy hair is rinsed in the morning in warm water or in an infusion of nettle leaves. 
Option 2. For the preparation of nourishing cream for the whole body in equal proportions take pork and lamb fat, butter and beeswax.
As in the previous version, these components must be melted in a water bath, mix well and pour into a jar for further storage. The finished product can be applied daily, inflicting on different parts of the body, in particular, and damaged by burns.
Some women simply add the melted product to their standard cosmetics and after mixing they use it as usual, only in this case one should not exclude the possibility of the appearance of an unpleasant smell.
How to choose when buying
To get the maximum benefit from the fat tail, it is important to choose a truly high-quality product without confusing it with goat fat (it looks similar, but the properties differ). 
This mutton product is distinguished by the following characteristics:
- it is light, almost white;
- dry;
- without an unpleasant ammonia smell.
To minimize the risk of acquiring fake or low-quality fat, buy it only from trusted private sellers (preferably on farms) or in reputable stores with a good reputation.
Where to store
After purchase, the rump is usually stored immediately to be placed in a refrigerator for further storage. In such conditions, it does not lose its properties and can lie for up to 3-4 months.
If you do not yet have the opportunity to engage in over-melting, then temporarily freeze the product in order to cook it later. Standard storage temperature in the refrigerator is within + 2 ... + 5 ° C. 
Important! Do not use a fat tail if he suddenly has an unpleasant ammonia smell or the surface is covered with mold. From such fat benefits will not, on the contrary, you can harm your body.
How to melt mutton fat at home
It is easy to melt the rump, and all you need is an oven and a container for melting. All actions are performed in the following sequence:
- A fresh piece of fat is cut into small pieces and filled with cold water for an hour (this way blood clots and unnecessary tissue residues are separated from it).
- After the specified time, it is taken out of the water, washed well and put into a cast-iron or clay container, in which the fat must be completely melted.
- It now remains to place the pot in the oven for 1.5 hours, after sprinkling it well with water (the temperature in the oven should not be above + 150 ° C).
- At the end of the procedure, the melted fat is taken out of the oven, filtered through a sieve and cotton cloth and poured into a jar for further storage.
As an acceptable alternative to the task, you can use the slow cooker. In this case, the purchased fat tail is well washed, cut into small pieces or passed through a meat grinder with a fine mesh, then melted in a bowl of the slow cooker in the Baking mode (the process usually takes about an hour).
Then the electric appliance is put on the mode of "Quenching", and the fat tail continues to prepare for another 2-3 hours. After straining the product is removed in the refrigerator and used as needed.
Important! Whichever way you choose, it is important to periodically stir the fat for uniform melting.
Who can not
With all the many-sided benefits of lamb fat, there are cases where it can harm the human body. First of all, it concerns people suffering from obesity, kidney disease, liver problems, inflammation of the gallbladder and atherosclerosis. 
It is also desirable to limit the use of fat tail for people with gastric ulcer or high acidity, due to its high fat content. In some situations, discomfort may occur due to individual intolerance of the product, which should also be considered when buying it.
Did you know? The ancient Romans called lardo fat, and, interestingly, this name has survived to this day, although it now means "lard". There is evidence that the Emperor Justinian himself at the legislative level obliged his subjects to supply Lardo to the army so that all servicemen would have enough strength and energy, and this happened about 1500 years ago.Even the most useful product is not without flaws, which means that its consumption should be approached correctly. As for the fat tail, this method of treatment is “an amateur”, but considering all its advantages, you should not neglect it.
