Lard, Fatback, Leaf fat? Where do you get it?
 

Well, I've been looking around for a place to buy fatback so I can render my own lard to no avail.

None of the supermarkets sell it and the butcher right down the street from me doesn't sell it either.

The reason I'm looking for it is that I want to make some good old-fashioned southern biscuits and you need some pure lard (NOT store bought) to do it.

Any ideas?

Anyone know of a place I can buy some fatback on the net?

Try this.

http://www.wallacesporkskins.com/oldtimspeccr.html

Where do you live?...I can get fatback almost anywhere around here (NY Metro area). All it is is a slab of pork fat with a little salt (close to bacon but not smoked and higher fat content)

I am with Hot Dog on this one: Where do you live?

Here in the South it is hard to hide from it.
You should be able to go to a Butcher shop or even a grocery store and find fat back or side meat. You can also use renderings from bacon.

Your Southern biscuits will be fine made with Crisco shortening instead of Lard. Dont knead the dough too much and leave it as wet as you can stand it.
Good Luck

I'm out on the west coast. I think people are too health conscious around here.

Thank You for the link Average-Joe. But is that what I need? It looks like they only sell skins.

Guess I just gotta keep looking.

My bad. I did a quick search and that’s what came up, I guess you could of done the same…:crazy:

In relation to what has been said. Rendering your fat will probably be the closest to what you’re looking for. I’m currently on the west coast as well. Folks are a bit health conscious over here.Most places only sell part skim or reduced fat mozzarella and being an Italian from NY, well that shit just don’t cut it.
FAT IS WERE THE FLAVORS AT
However if you search hard enough I’m sure you can find some.

mmmmmm..... fat back......
Had to say it :)

average-joe

sorry
fat has little flavor but it carries flavor very well

It also turns out biscuits and pie crusts with superb texture (I'm talking about fat from lard, butter just isn't as good in these situations).

:hmm: OK! Thanks for the 101 on fats.

But I must say duck fat is buy far the most flavorful IMO regardless if its only "carrying" the flavor.

POINT being "fat is were the flavors at"

I'll bet if you go to a gourmet market they'll be able to get some fatback for you or at least point you in the right direction. Also, the Crisco should work just as well.... my mother, grandmother and every other family member I know used it all around SC.

I'm a southerner and understand the value of this stuff. It's tasty to eat and also a great seasoning for green beans, pinto beans, butter beans, speckled butter beans, turnip greens, collard greens.... Oh yeah, did I mention I'm from the south?

Don't forget to fry up some cured ham and then make red eye gravy with coffee for your grits!

Crisco works just as well?!?! Is that like....blasphemy :D.

You have to admit though, that Crisco does give its baked goods a certain taste and texture that differs from butter or lard. I guess I just never got used to that taste.

I'll try the gourmet market idea, but I'm not hopeful. There's just not a demand for the stuff out here.

At this point I'm thinking that I'll have to have my family send me some (they live in Kentucky).

Just don't tell anyone you are using Crisco, add a little fried ham grease and no one will know the difference!! Only you, me and everyone else that reads this thread!!

You'll notice that crisco will have a differnet taste.. ..primarily due to it's higher melting point.

It's best to find a fat that is solid at room temp but melts just below body temp. Crisco isn't that good for body temp melting, though... ...animal fat is right up that alley.

Palm Kernel and Coconut oil are like that too. ;)

-SF

Though, just remember, if it's soild at room temp it's bad for you.. ..gasp, did I just say that?

I wonder if you could get the butchers to give you a hunk of pork BEFORE they cut it into bacon. You could maybe carve out some lard from that. ALSO I've seen the lard sold in chunck to feed certain birds. I wonder if a pet store could direct you to somewhere you could get that. Just so long as they haven't added seeds to it already it MIGHT work. My mom used to get the lard from the store and chop off a hunk to roll in seeds (warm it up first and they'll stick) and hang in the net on the tree for the birds. Then she'd use the rest for cooking.

Out here in California, most markets in an area with a Latino population carry it; but the name on the package is Manteca ("lard" in Spanish). There's actually a town called Manteca out in the San Joaquin Valley. Well, I guess it's better than "Lardville."

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