Pork fat was more valuable than the Pork Years ago!

They never wasted anything and pork fat Had so Many uses, not all were in our food.

soap making
candles
wound healing/medicinal
salves and balms
greasing machines - (I use lard to season my cast iron skillets and wok)

The 2 types of pork fat are:-

Leaf lard - this is the internal fat that is around the kidneys - this is best for pastry crusts.
Back fat - although we call it back fat, on our pigs it is fat that the butcher trims off the pork cuts. - This is best for sausage making but can be used to render into lard.

Culinary uses for Lard

Render the leaf lard for making the best pastry/pie crusts - Check out my best pastry ever recipe here
Rendered lard is a great butter substitute for cakes and cookies - it is best used in cakes like chocolate cakes or heavier spiced cakes, like ginger cake - you can’t taste the pork fat but you won’t get the buttery flavour that you would be looking for in a plainer - non spiced cake.
Use lard to make the best chips/fries!!!
Season your lard with herbs and spices and use to roast vegetables.
Sear meat
Sausage making - Unrendered Back fat is popular with hunters to add to lean game meat when they make their own sausages.
****I use both back fat and leaf lard for cooking - but leaf lard does not work in sausage making - you need unrendered back fat for that.****

You won’t find canola or avocado oil in my house I am strictly a Lard girl!

Lard is listed in the top 10 of the worlds most nutritious foods so why wouldn’t you use it - and its sustainable & delicious!

I regularily use it for!

the best chips ever, (fries to my non Brit readers)
pastry,
bread - forget the butter and olive oil, I have a recipe for a sourdough sandwich loaf and I only ever use lard!
sauteed meats and veg
Stir fries - yes I use pork fat and lard all the time in stir fries

Making your own lard at home is easier than you think.

Stove top, Slow Cooker, Oven and Instant pot all work great!

Rendering fat into lard

It is not as hard as it sounds, in fact it is super easy.

If you are a bit of a kitchen gadget fiend like me you likely have every labour/time saving kitchen appliance going.

Though I did resist the instant pot for a long time, I just didn't think I needed one.

Then someone told me they had made a million (slight exaggeration) freezer meals in a day and that it would change my life.

When I burned some potatoes in one of my best pans, which was so badly burned on I couldn’t rescue it, I finally caved in and got an Instant Pot.

I needed a pot that I didn’t have to babysit, and it turns out the perfect way to make small batches of lard!

When I discovered I could render lard in the instant pot I felt like a cavewoman that just discovered fire!

It is perfect in summer when you only want to do small batches and not heat up the house.

To make rendering quicker use ground pork fat but you can also just chop up pork fat.

I sometimes use my food processor to chop the fat which is easier if it is still slightly frozen.

INSTANT POT

Put ground fat into Instant Pot - don’t go above the max fill line.
Add 1/4 cup cold water
Press Pressure Cook (High) for 1 hour
Allow to cool with natural pressure release
Strain into containers (See tips about straining)

Tip - lard rendered in the instant pot may have some water which will settle as a gel under the cold rendered lard - I always strain mine into pans lined with parchment or cling film.

When its set turn it over and scrape off the gel, then store the lard as normal.

Check out my quick video on youtube

SLOW COOKER

Place the fat in a slow cooker and set it to LOW.
It will take several hours. The cracklings will soon sink down and then rise up again.
When they rise again the lard is done.
Strain into containers (See tips about straining)

STOVETOP

Place fat in a heavy pot (cast-iron Dutch ovens are perfect because they distribute heat evenly), and set it to “2”.

Once it begins melting set it to “1”.
As the fat melts Strain into containers (See notes about straining)

OVEN

Set oven to 200 degrees F

Place it in a Dutch oven or roasting tray don't put a lid on you need the moisture to evaporate.
Strain into containers (See tips about straining)

If you over-cook it the lard will begin to brown and you’ll end up with lard that has a stronger porky flavour. It’s still completely usable for things like frying and sauteing, it’s just not ideal for making sweet pastries and pie crusts.

In its liquid state, the colour of the lard will be like lemonade. Once it cools and hardens it will become pure, delicious, white goodness.

Tips for Straining

Strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the cracklings. Then strain it again through 3 layers of cheesecloth to remove the remaining small bits and sediment.

It’s critical that you remove any bits of fat and gristle along with any tiny bits of sediment, otherwise, your lard will get mouldy.
Pure fat doesn’t grow mould, it goes rancid. So if there’s mould on it it’s because it wasn’t rendered long enough to remove all the water and/or it wasn’t strained properly. So be sure to properly strain it.
Let it sit undisturbed at room temperature until it has cooled down and is firm (it firms up pretty quickly).

Tips for storage

Jars
Bread pans - I line with plastic wrap - then I have brick-shaped lard
OR for pre-measured portions and easy clean up - Measure how much a muffin tin holds, line with muffin casings and pour lard in. This is my personal favourite - Then I freeze the lard and take out as I need it.

What to do with the bits left behind - crispy cracklings! Transfer them to a frying pan and fry until they’re puffy and crispy. Add your favourite seasoning. Then if you don’t eat them straight out of the pan you can add to salads as a crispy topping!

Clean up Tips

Yes making lard can get a bit messy - If you have cast iron pans you need to season then put your lard covered utensils and sieve in the pans to catch all the lard drips.

You can also use parchment paper to lay your utensils on - then you sue this lard loaded paper to grease bread or cake tins, or to season cast iron.

Happy Rendering!