Now that's what I call recycling

I started to notice a funny thing.

Every chef who works a grill here in Buenos Aires sharpens his knife everytime he uses it. Nothing unusual about that.

But it's what's on the end of the steel (la cyaira) that caught my attention. See the yellow stuff that looks like a bit of ropey old soap?

It's dried beef fat.

They put it on there so the knife doesn't slip and cut their hand off when they're sharpening it. As the fat dries, it hardens and works in the same way as a cross-guard on a sword. (I just looked that up in an armoury glossary.) After all, it's pretty hot working on a grill - hands get sweaty and it's all pretty hectic and fast. Knives can slip.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best. All the chefs do it.

So the next time you trim the fat off your steak before you fry it, remember those chefs in Buenos Aires as you throw it away.

And here it is from the other side.