Lard got a bad reputation it never deserved. Real rendered pork fat from a pasture-raised hog is clean, stable, neutral in flavor, and better for high heat cooking than most bottled oils. If you buy a half hog from us, ask for the fat. Then do this with it.
Two kinds of fat
**Leaf lard** is the soft fat from around the kidneys. It renders whitest and most neutral and is the gold standard for pie crust and pastry.
**Back fat** is firmer and carries a slightly more porky flavor. It is perfect for frying, roasting vegetables, and refried beans.
What you need
The method
1. Cut the fat into small, even pieces. Cold fat cuts easier, so work with it straight out of the fridge.
2. Add the fat to the pot with a splash of water. The water keeps the fat from scorching before it starts to release its own oil.
3. Set it low. A slow cooker on low or a stovetop on the lowest burner setting is right. You want a bare simmer, never a fry.
4. Stir every twenty minutes or so. Over two to four hours, the solid pieces shrink and clear liquid fat pools around them.
5. When the cracklings turn golden and sink, you are done.
6. Strain through cheesecloth into jars. Do not press the solids if you want the cleanest lard.
Storage
Cool the jars on the counter, then refrigerate. Rendered lard keeps for months in the fridge and a year or more in the freezer. Properly rendered leaf lard is snow white and firm when chilled.
Do not throw out the cracklings
Salt them while hot and eat them like chips, or crumble them into cornbread, biscuits, or a green salad.
Where to use it
Getting fat from us
Fat is included when you order a pork share, and we can set aside leaf lard specifically if you ask before processing. Note it in your order and we will pull it for you.
