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I made homemade lard for the first time last week. Now, hear me out before you wrinkle your nose at the idea. What do you really know about this nutritious white substance that makes the BEST biscuits, fried chicken and pie crust in the world? If your like me, you were raised to think that lard was BAD for us, while vegetable shortening was Good. Then what I have to say may surprise you.
Vegetable shortening first made its appearance back in the early 1900′s. The companies that made these shortenings tried, with much success, to turn people off of animal fats and onto their new “healthier” margarine and shortening. (Don’t even get me started on how margarine is made and what’s in it—metal particles, rancid vegetable oil, soap like emulsifiers, and bleach. I’ll stick to sweet cream and salt, thank you very much, which are the only ingredients in real butter.)
Back to shortening now, Crisco was introduced in 1911 as a substitute for the so-called, “poor man’s fat”. But shortening really vanquished lard in the 1950s when researchers first connected animal fat in the diet to coronary heart disease. Turns out though that those hydrogenated vegetable oils (Trans Fats) are far worse for your health than any animal fat could ever be.
The goodness of Lard:
- Lard can be an excellent source of Vitamin D
- Lard contains 30% less saturated fat than butter
- Lard contains 45% monounsaturated fat (the “good” fat) - twice as much as butter
- Lard contains more polyunsaturated fat (also “good” fat) then olive oil
Lard also has a higher smoking point than other fats, allowing foods like chicken to absorb less grease when fried in it.
People think that cooking with lard will make everything taste of pork, but this is not true; its flavor is neutral. What it does, however, is create incredible texture and structure.
DON’T buy the lard you find in stores. Most lard you find at the grocery stores has been hydrogenated to make it shelf stable indefinitely, which robs it of its good qualities. This process adds trans fats to the lard, in addition to whatever preservatives may also be added.
So the answer is to make your own! It’s not that difficult, and the benefits far out way the small investment of time.
Making Lard:
A pound or so of pig fat, either leaf lard or fat back. Leaf lard is the best grade of lard and is preferred for pastry, while fat back is the next-best grade of lard and is appropriate for frying. Each pound of fat will yield about a pint of lard.
1/2 cup water
After buying your fat, preferably from a farmer or butcher that treats its hogs humanely, chop it up into little pieces.
In a Dutch oven or heavy, large pot, add half of a cup of water to the pot, and then add the cubed fat.
On the stove, heat the pot on medium low, stirring occasionally (every 10 minutes).
After the fat starts melting (about an hour), you’ll hear some very loud pops. Do not be alarmed—that is just the last gasp of air and moisture leaving what will soon become cracklings (little fried pieces of pork). Now is the time to start stirring more often. Soon after, the cracklings will start floating on the surface. Keep stirring frequently, but be careful—you don’t want the fat popping out of the pot and burning you.
When the cracklings sink to the bottom, the lard has been rendered.
Once the lard has cooled slightly, pour the liquid fat through a mesh colander lined with cheesecloth, or my old stand-by, an unbleached coffee filter.
Store in glass canning jars in the refrigerator or freezer. It will keep for months.
Use the lard in place of oil when frying, in pastry like pie crusts, and sauteing vegetables or roasting potatoes. You’ll love the texture and flavor (or lack of pork flavor) that real lard provides.
The cracklings that are left behind make a delicious snack as well, or are great used in making cornbread, or seasoning a pot of beans.
Info Credit: slate.com, mother earth news , The Homesick Texan
This recipe is linked to: Monday~ Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mouthwatering Monday, Monday Mania, Tuesday~ Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Delicious Dishes, Wednesday~Hearth and Soul, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Real Food Wednesdays, Thursday~ Simple Lives Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Friday~ Simply Sweet Home Friday’s Favorites, Food Trip Friday
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