How To Render Lard and Why I Do It


by Bonita Anderson - Date: 2006-12-01 - Word Count: 357 Share This!

The lard you can render from the fat of one pig is far superior than the stuff that has preservatives added. I am not a fan of chemical anything in food. I prefer my food to taste as pure as possible without artificial add-ins. Granted that food stuffs containing preservatives will last longer than those that I call natural. My feelings are, if the preservatives make them last longer our bodies must have an awful hard time digesting those things. I think it is easier on our bodies to avoid the artificial.

To render lard you need a large heavy pot such as cast iron that can withstand long periods of heat at a constant temperature. I grind the fat from the butchered pig. I use a coarse grind. Then I put 1/4-inch of water into my pot. I gradually add a cup or two of the ground pork to the pot. I turn the heat on to super low. As the fat starts melting I add more. I do not want to cook the fat, just melt it to a liquid state. It takes a lot of time to render lard, but the finished product is wonderful.

When my pot is full of the melted fat, I strain it through a fine sieve to collect all the tiny bits of pork that are formed during the melting process. I save the cracklings, as they are called, for use in some things I make. Or I mix them with peanut butter and beef suet for the birds. I pour the lard, which is clear liquid, into pans or other containers. I refrigerate the lard and after it is cold it is the most pure snow white color.

This freezes well and keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks. I like it because there are no preservatives, no hormones or chemicals used. It is my fat of choice for baking and frying. I also season my cast iron pots and pans with lard. I feel that using margarine or some other fake fat in place of lard or butter is equivalent to trying to make someone believe that pigs can fly.


Related Tags: fat, natural, season, cook, pot, pork, fry, melt, bake

Everything I write about is from personal observation and life experiences. I love to cook and prepare foods in different ways. I like sharing my experiences about food and cooking. My website http://www.pothaven.com was created because of my interest in quality cookware and cooking. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

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