Lard
Be the first to rate it
Cold pork leaf or kidney fat chopped fine and rendered slowly in a slow cooker or pot, then strained into jars.
Ingredients
- Leaf fat or kidney fat from pigs
- 1/4 cup water
- Equipment: slow cooker or large pot; cheesecloth; glass jars
Equipment
- food processor
- fine sieve
- mason jars
Directions
- Begin with cold fat (refrigerated for several days after butchering, or frozen and partly thawed).
- Cut away large chunks of meat or kidney, then chop the fat finely or run it through a food processor or meat grinder (smaller pieces melt faster and give whiter lard). Do not over-process, or the fat warms up and clumps.
- Put the 1/4 cup water and the fat in a slow cooker on low (or in a pot over very low stovetop heat). Rendering too quickly gives a stronger “piggy” flavor and a golden color.
- Render for several hours, stirring often, until the cracklins float to the top and clear liquid fat pools underneath. Do not let it boil, burn, or stick.
- Pour through cheesecloth into glass jars. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Use for sautéing or frying; mild, white lard also works in pie crusts and pastries.
Notes
Room-temperature storage is not recommended (rancidity). Safety: hot fat burns badly; keep the heat low, don’t leave it unattended, and let it cool a little before pouring into glass.