What does apple pie, soap, fried chicken, and donuts have in common? They can all be made with lard!
That’s right! This forgotten, natural fat is not only used in food, it was a standard household product. Past generations used lard for baking, cooking, soap, candles, skin care, restoring cast iron pans, leather and wood care, and much more!
If you want to cook healthier and avoid hydrogenated, trans-fats that clog arteries and cause disease then you need to try out some old-fashion lard!
Keep in mind, not all lard is equal. Modern store-bought lard is often highly processed and hydrogenated. Yuck!
Try to source your lard from pasture-raised pigs from local farmers or butchers. That sun-soaked lard is high in vitamin D and omega 3’s.
If you purchase a hog from a farmer and have it processed at a local butcher shop, you likely had the option to get the raw pig fat either ground or chunks.
It is then your job to render it into lard. Lard that hasn’t been rendered is simply raw fat. Rendering lard preserves it by removing water and other impurities that might otherwise cause it to spoil. It also produces a luxuriously creamy, spoonable fat that can be used in many ways.
This job can be done on the stove, in a crock pot on low, or the oven (220-250°). I’ve only done it on the stove top and that seems to work well for me because I can easily keep an eye on it and adjust the temperature as needed.
1. You will either get your fat in pieces or ground up. This batch was a 6.5 lb package of ground fat. Whether your fat is ground or in pieces, I recommend cutting it up in ½ to 1 inch squares so it melts down efficiently. The fat cuts easier when partially frozen.
2. You want a nice slow melting to get white, odorless lard. Cooking it too fast at higher temperatures will result in a porky flavor. This isn’t necessarily bad, but won’t be the most ideal for pastry baking.
3. Add your fat pieces to the pot and turn the stove to “2”. Once the fat starts melting, turn it down to “1” or lower. You want a low simmer. Stir occasionally. This process takes a couple hours, depending on the amount of fat and the temperature.
4. The fat will melt and separate from the bits of pork tissue, called “cracklings.” The cracklings will snap, crackle, and pop, as it cooks down. :) The water will steam off but if it starts smoking, remove from heat! When the cracklings settle to the bottom, the lard is done. You can start straining the fat as it cooks, but I waited till the cracklings settled and then strained it all at once.
5. Line a strainer with cheesecloth over a bowl or container. I cut a piece of cheesecloth to fit my strainer. It was folded four times. I set it over a measuring glass for easy pouring into my pint jars that I used for storing. I ladled the lard out in batches, straining and pouring it into the jars.
The 6.5 lbs produced a little more than 2 quarts of lard.
6. I returned the cracklings to the pot and cooked them longer to make them crispy. I was able to strain off two more cups of fat from the cracklings.
This lard was darker in color with a slightly noticeable porky smell. This lard will work great for sautéing and such. The cracklings can be salted and seasoned as a snack, topped on a salad, or treated to your dog or cat!
7. The liquid lard will have a lemonade color but will turn white as it cools and hardens.
Here is a picture of the lard once it is cooled. The jar on the right is the first batch that was rendered slowly. The jar on the left is from frying the cracklings down.
You’ll notice a slight color difference between the two. It is still great for sautéing and cooking but may have a stronger flavor in pie crusts and biscuits. It’s all really personal taste.
Storage
Lard is stable at room temperature for a time but will eventually go rancid like all oils do. I store mine in the fridge or freezer where it will last longer. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 6 months to a year and in the freezer for a year or two. You can freeze it in bars, cubes, tubs or jars.
But note: once you unthaw the lard don’t refreeze it.
How do you know if your lard is still good? Smell it. If it smells rancid, throw it out. Lard shouldn’t mold. If it does, the water wasn’t cooked out of it or it wasn’t strained well.
So there you have it! Fresh, old-fashioned lard. Ready to give it a try?
The next time you order a pig don’t forget the fat!