Sage

The idea of lard intrigues me. It makes things oh so wonderfully yummy (like biscuts) but I have the idea that it's absloutely terrible for you. However, I suscribe to The New Homemaker, and one of the latest articles was called Make Your Own Lard. In the article, it's said that lard is actually a rather good fat, since it's monounsaturated and if you get really good quality pork fat, it's from a very very good source (the animal it being from having been raised "properly").

So, does anyone have expierence with lard or know a little more about whether or not it'd stick the sides of my arteries shut? I'm interested in trying it because it seems like it'd be a tasty addition to things

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maleficent

when I was a kid, the grandmother across the street, an older ukranian lady who barely spoke english used to collect bacon grease, and other fats in a coffee tin that she kept under the sink- and she used to use this collected grease in cooking... :shudder: it grossed me out then- the idea of eating rendered fat now still makes me go - ewww.. I'll stick to olive oil I'm not sure I want to know where the olives have been but -- i'l take my chances :S

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Charlatan

Damn... I thought this was going to be a thread about Jello Biafra's band called Lard.

Rendered pig fat! I agree that it sounds gross but!! it's damn tasty when used. I haven't used it since my wife became a vegetarian but I used to use it in my refried beans. It makes them that much more flavourful. I am told it is also the secret to any good pie crust. Much better than veg shortening.

Now that's something that olive oil can't do.

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Mister Coaster

Yeah, lard is old school. I remember when I was a kid, my great aunt would make fried chicken, fried in lard. Holy smokes, thems were some tasty vittles. I'm sure she piled it on thick in all of her recipes as well. She lived to be 101, and cooked that way all her life. Maybe thats what kept her alive so long?

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mixedmedia

I have never used lard, but I have used bacon grease...mmmm.

Actually, I have heard that there's been a renaissance of sorts for the use of lard (Crisco, most popularly) but my mom never used it so I just never formed a basis for using it. If it's tasty I wouldn't mind trying it though.

I will never understand how things are deemed to be nutritionally the equivalent of consuming delicious but toxic industrial run-off in one decade and then redeemed as actually not so bad for you the next. It's a bastard conspiracy, I tell you.

And just for the record, I go through boatloads of olive oil, too.

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maleficent

crisco i thought was vegetable shortening - not animal based.. it always looked pretty gross to me but makes for tasty cookies

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mixedmedia

aha! I never knew that. But like I said, I never used it. I just always thought it was lard. Now my curiosity is piqued.....

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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Sage

You can buy lard at the grocery store, but it's been hydrogenanated to make for a more stable shelf life- that means more calories.

I think I might see if I can get a little bit of pig fat and render some lard just for expirementing... there's a few all natural farms around these parts that raise pigs that I could get the fat from... I wanna make lard biscuts and see how they turn out!

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robodog

There is simply nothing better than pancakes cooked in bacon fat. You cook up your bacon a little on the limp side to render the fat out then grease the griddle with the fat, makes for crispy tasty edges on the cakes. Then when you are done cooking the flapjacks you put the bacon back on to crisp it up, perfectly timed breakfast that is full of flavor. Certainly NOT good for you but hard to beat on flavor. Add some grits and an omlet and I normally pass back out on the couch watching the game =)

snowy

Sage, you might find this article titled "Heaven in a Pie Pan: The Perfect Crust" from the NYTimes interesting: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/di...rssnyt&emc=rss

In it, the author tested a variety of fats to see which one created the perfect pie crust. She even rendered fat from other animals to see how they competed. Very interesting article.

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jerseyboy

When you see lardo offered at some charcuterie places is that the same as lard? The idea that it is kinda grosses me out.

JustJess

On a side note - in terms of fats... avoid ANYTHING that says "saturated" or "hydrogenated" - that means they chemically added hydrogen so your fat molecules have straight tails - which means they pack tightly and are bad for your arteries etc. Unsaturated means they have kinks in the tails and thus do not pack so tightly, and thus are better for you and even useful to your body.

As for lard... I have NO idea. The word itself is pretty unappealing.

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snowy

Lardo is not lard. Lard is rendered pig fat. Lardo is a cured meat product made from the layer of fat underneath the pig's skin. The fat is cured in brine and seasonings, meaning that the fat takes on the flavor of whatever it's cured in. It's supposed to be quite delicious. Mario Batali uses it a lot in his cooking.

For those wondering what lardo looks like:

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Brewmaniac

As Emeril Lagasse would say, "pork fat rules'!

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jerseyboy

I am kinda eager to try Lardo, I assume it tastes much better sliced thin rather than in chunks.

nightshade000

I've never used lard, but I do collect, store, and use bacon fat. I've been known to make bacon just to get the fat for something else I am cooking that day.

Eggs made with bacon fat instead of butter or oil (I don't use non-stick pans, so I need something to make them not stick) are SO much better. Not really any need to salt them either.

I also use it when making pancakes, as it rounds and fills out the taste.

If you've never cooked with bacon fat before, trying using it (just enough to grease a pan... it's not an ingrediant in and of itself ).

shakran

you don't need lard to make great biscuits. Flour, baking powder, a little salt, a little baking soda, buttermilk, and butter is all you need. If you want I can dig up the recipe. Buttermilk biscuits, of course, work best in gravy made from flour browned in bacon fat and expanded with milk. Southerners, back me up on this

Ananas

I remember my mom and grandmom using lard regularly in cooking. I agree with those who've said that lard makes for better cooking/taste.

When I was a child, all kitchens had a small metal container in which fat (grease) was poured after cooking. Some of these cans came as part of a stovetop salt/pepper/grease set - silvery in color.

Oh, the most popular brand of lard came in a red can with white lettering, and was called Cudahy's.

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