in NYC to find out what he adds to his frying oil to create a uniquely tasty piece of chicken.

According to Jones, bacon fat adds a distinct smoky, meaty complexity to fried chicken that you can't find anywhere else. And it's no surprise — we already know bacon fat transforms caramelized onions and gives cornbread a savory depth of flavor. So why wouldn't it be key to making fried chicken even better? "It enhances the overall flavor of the crust and permeates slightly into the meat, especially in skin-on pieces," Jones said. "It also has a slightly lower smoke point than neutral oils but renders a crisp, almost shatteringly brittle crust, particularly when blended (say, 25% bacon fat to 75% vegetable oil)."

All in all, Jones says the umami and complexity that bacon fat adds to fried chicken is simply unmatched. "It's a secret weapon in Southern kitchens for a reason," he said.