There’s little that’s more flavorful to cook with than rendered bacon fat, or bacon grease. It’s super easy to gather and save, and the cooking possibilities with it are endless. Whether you want to use it to flavor and cook potatoes and greens or create a delicious vinaigrette, all you need is a bit of rendered bacon fat. Here’s the best way to get the most out of your bacon, according to Serious Eats:

1. Cut bacon (either pre-sliced or slab) into 1″ or smaller pieces. This way, you’ll expose as much of the bacon’s surface area to the pan as possible, allowing the fat to melt more quickly. (You can, of course, do this with bacon slices too if that’s the way you need to cook the bacon).
2. Toss the pieces in a heavy bottomed pan. The bacon should fit in a single layer without leaving much empty space. You shouldn’t need to add any excess oil, but if you’re worried your pan is too large, then add a small bit of canola or veggie oil for lubrication.
3. Heat bacon on low or medium heat, turning heat down if the fat starts to pop or bacon piece brown too quickly. Let piece sizzle for a few minutes undisturbed, but stir to give all fatty white sides time to brown on the pan.
4. Once most of the fat has melted off of the bacon and the bacon is cripsy and browned, use a slotted spoon to remove bacon pieces. Put bacon pieces on some paper towels to absorb remaining grease.
5. Run the fat through a fine sieve to get rid of any leftover bacon bits. Now your bacon fat is ready to use!

You can either use your bacon fat immediately or store it in a glass jar or stainless steel can once it’s cooled. It’ll keep in your fridge for just about a month!