When they’re cool, pop them out, wrap them, and store in the fridge in a different container. By Rochelle Bilo w. July 11, 2015. This recipe is specifically for lard, so make sure that’s what you are using. Remove the Pyrex from the pan and set on your counter top. I’ve never used tallow to make soap, so I can’t speak on it. Make your own with my tutorial on how to make lard in your crockpot! Throw all the cut up bits of fat into the slow cooker. It is less widely used than it used to be because of its high animal-fat content. It is also naturally grain-free, making it a wonderful alternative to corn, canola and soybean oils. Lard makes a suitable base for candles that will burn at around the same rate as wax candles. OK, there are two types of pig fat used to render lard: back fat and leaf fat. Now add the vitamin e oil and warm distilled water and whisk on high using your hand mixer. Several months ago, I placed an order for some delicious pastured pork from a local farm. I hope I can convince a few of you to take a closer look at it! Tallow can be used for soap making too, but different fats require different ratios of lye. Rendering lard is a lost art – a worthwhile technique forgotten in a fat-phobic, Lean Cuisine-centered culture. 8. I used 1½ lbs of raw fat, and it produced about 2 cups of lard. Just use pork fat instead. Fats, oils and butters. Leaf fat produces a lighter, whiter lard that is traditionally used for pastries. Use the lard in pie crust, to fry things, making soap… lots of possibilities! The same applies to organic lard, tallow or whatever name they give their melted fat. When we try to dilute the pure goodness of lard with shea, olive or castor oils, the lard soap gods are displeased and the bars become softer and take longer to cure. They added a few slabs of fatback to my order so I could try my hand at making lard. How to Make Lard. It came to trace after about an hour of stirring with a wooden spoon, and I poured it into the mold. Tallow and lard are enjoying a comeback in the kitchen thanks to increasing awareness of the health benefits of nutrient-rich traditional fats. 85 grams lye (sodium hydroxide) 228 grams distilled water My mom says she remembers my grandma using and making lard. If using a stovetop cooker, place on burner over low heat. Does your family enjoy savory meat pie or chicken and dumplings? We make our own lard (and even sometimes score some kidney fat for making leaf lard, the very best kind for pastry) and I have been meaning to write a post about it. You could also use custard cups or some other container and cool in 1-cup increments. Rendering lard is much less painful, and the results are worth it. The first thing that you need to do is acquire high-quality pig fat. This helps make the lard pure which prevents spoilage and any residual taste. Creating candles this way can help … These lard recipes have been designed so they can be made in your kitchen with easy to find and common ingredients. All of those misconceptions you hold about lard is the result of very successful marketing. That way you can get on with doing other stuff. … How To Render Leaf Fat to make Leaf Lard: … Leaf Lard is said to be the very best lard one can use to make pie crusts. Lard is fine, white pork fat that has been rendered and clarified. 28 oz water *When purchasing your lard, make sure it is lard and not tallow. In the end you get a buttery smooth, spoonable fat that is perfect for cooking and baking! Far too many experts try to make life more complicated by adding expensive vegetable- and nut-based fats and oils to their soap recipes. Use lard in the crust! The lard will be a golden brown color when warm, and turn creamy white when cold. At home I throw in the freezer what won’t fit in my slow cooker. Do you cook with cast iron? Lastly, the “floaties” on top are called “cracklins”. Widely prized for culinary applications, it is hard to get and priced accordingly. When it comes to … Just a suggestion. Uses of lard. Here's how to render it the right way—and make the most out of it in your cooking. Lard refers to a specific type of Pig inner abdominal fat that is rendered into lard. The difference can make an impact on … 480 grams lard ; 120 grams coconut oil; Lye solution. It's possible to make lard with frozen fat as well, but the process will go more slowly. Lard is a very versatile fat that you can use for frying chicken, making tamales and pie crusts. Thawed lard will be able to last for several months in the refrigerator. Lard is particularly suitable for frying eggs, potatoes and meat. Add about half a cup or so of water. I heated the lye and lard to 120*F and poured the lye into the lard. You know them from just about every southern show on TV. Keyword diy, fat, grease, lard. These rendered animal fats actually enjoy many of the benefits of coconut oil, including being heat stable and suitable for cooking at high temperatures. However, for many individuals, a non-dairy fat with nutritional benefits such as leaf lard, especially from organic, pasture-raised animals, and consumed in moderation, can offer significant health advantages over butter. Pork back fat (of fatback) can also be used for rendering lard and also produces a fairly high quality fat, however, lard rendered from fatback tends to have a slight pork flavor and smell to it which can make it less desirable for making pastries. (Render is the term used for the cooking down and purifying of the fat.) Printable recipe included. Author Heather Dessinger. Place the almond oil, lard and beeswax in the Pyrex and warm until the beeswax is completely melted. This makes it a great way to do the prepper thing and know you have good lard/tallow on hand. If you happen to have lard in your kitchen, you might wonder how to store this pork fat. Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes. The excess water and other impurities in the fat are removed. Season it with lard! Fatback also makes light, mild lard. However, it is important to note that you should always check if the lard has spoiled before you use it for food preparation. The process, called rendering, creates the smooth-textured lard you can purchase in stores for making pie crusts, pastry or for frying. There are two different areas of the pig that you can make lard from. Since lard is 100 percent fat and butter contains around 80 percent fat, you'll want to add more butter to get the fat content right. I haven’t needed it, and my lard turns out great. As a society, we are extremely deficient in Vitamin D. But doesn’t lard make you fat? Make soap? Burnt fat isn’t good for anyone! INGREDIENTS. A last note: There is a running argument over whether or not Lard in you died is unhealthy. 7. 5 lbs lard* 10 oz lye. Many cooks, seeking out local foods and forgotten traditions, have rediscovered how to render lard in their homes. Be Patient. After just a few dollars out of pocket, I head home from my butcher with slabs of lard in my trunk and plans of a rendering day ahead. Crock Pot Time 2 hours. People (readers and real-world friends alike) always get so freaked out by lard… now I have a place to point them, both for the nutritional lowdown and the how-to, too. Either way, lard is an integral part of Mexican cooking, used in tortillas, refried beans, and countless sauces. My pie crust recipe calls for 1/3 cup lard per crust, and my tortilla recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups lard, so for me these sizes make sense. If you render leaf fat only, you can make the highest quality lard, light-colored with a mild flavor. If you’ve been slow-cooking a pork shoulder for a while, the fat that has rendered in the bottom of the pan is lard. It’s very easy to make; the bacon that’s been sizzling away has left lard in the bottom of the pan. As the liquid begins to form, you will have to play the waiting game. I don’t add water to the pan when rendering lard. The first type of fat is called leaf lard; it’s located inside of the pig near the kidneys. Make sure the vessel you are storing the lard in has been thoroughly washed and dried too. Lard also contains high amounts of Vitamin D, a necessary fat-soluble vitamin. Note: Make sure all the water is cooked out of your fat tho because it can cause it to go rancid over time. I will give you the many ways to extend the shelf life of lard. It just takes a little time to render down, but well worth the time involved. You don’t want your lard to taste like pork. choose from 1 of the 5 lard soap recipes Lard and Coconut. For my lye to lard ratio, I used 3/4 cup lye to 2 cups lard plus 1 tablespoon salt to help the soap harden. One tip: Toups suggests you pour that fat through a very fine strainer to remove any burned, black flecks. 4. Inexpensive blocks of lard can be turned into candles in a matter of 15 minutes and burned safely inside of a glass container. Because rendering lard can take a few hours, it’s easier to do it in the slow cooker. Leaf Lard is considered to be the finest lard for baking, especially when making pie crusts from scratch. Make my own lard, eat butter, put whipping cream in my coffee and on my steel cut oats (with raisins and a touch of maple syrup) The best book I’ve read on this topic is The Great Cholesterol Myth by Bowden & Sinatra (not Frank :-) Note: For instructions on how to make lard in the oven instead of the crock pot, follow the instructions in this tutorial on rendering tallow. The key to lard’s long shelf life depends on how it is stored, as well as the conditions it is kept in. Prep Time 5 minutes. Lard can be used in place of butter, which comes in useful if you remove dairy from your diet. Jeremy Liebman. It is estimated that 1 tablespoon of lard contains 1000 IU of Vitamin D! If using an electric cooker such as the Instant Pot, press the "Slow Cook" function and then the "Adjust" button to toggle it to the "More" temperature setting. Leaf lard, like all types of lard, is high in saturated fat and cholesterol. If you would like to play around with making lard and seeing which method you prefer, you can add one cup of water to the pan at the time you add your lard. lol. rendering lard in the slow cooker. Just be sure to keep the lard’s temperature below the smoking point. The end you get a buttery smooth, spoonable fat that has been thoroughly washed and too! Fat.: Toups suggests how to make lard pour that fat through a very fine strainer remove! 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