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Rendering Reflections

5/28/2018

9 Comments

 
My best friend Susan was able to get the very last 5 lbs. of leaf lard from the Carroll Farm-to-Table market stand before they went out of business this Memorial Weekend. (Their customers have been encouraged to shift their business to Mary’s Land, which I have posted as a new resource via the Resources tab).

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To be honest, I thought it was going to be rendered leaf lard, but it was neatly-packaged fat from around the kidneys instead. As an Iowa girl and the founder of Lard Lovers, I am timid to admit that I had never rendered my own lard, but the occasion was upon me, so I plunged in.
Five pounds is a lot of raw leaf lard, so I cut about half of it into ½-inch slices (but I think I should have diced it into ¼-inch cubes) and added the pieces to a heavy-bottomed pan and put it on the lowest stove setting. I did not add any water, but I’ve since seen recipes that say adding water is good to cushion the liquid fat from burning. Next time. But on very low, I had no problems.
After about 8 hours, my first experience at rendering my own lard yielded about ¾ quart of beautiful white leaf lard and 2½ cups cracklings. When you are cutting up the raw lard, you will see that the fat is encased in a light pink membrane. When the lard melts, this membrane starts to brown and crackle in the bottom of the pan, thus the term “cracklings.” When you pour off the liquid lard, the cracklings are left in the bottom of the pan. My next task was to make my first batch of crackling biscuits… a recipe for which I have posted in the recipe section. Enjoy!
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9 Comments
Linda
5/29/2018 06:16:30 pm

This is a test to see if comment box is working.

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Vicki
5/30/2018 12:21:56 am

Thought let you know your post worked. Also I love using lard in cooking. Thanks for the recipe. Could you post the site where you ordered the fat to render. No success finding leaf lard in my neck of the woods.

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Linda
5/30/2018 09:03:53 am

Vicki, Be sure to check out the Resources tab on Lard Lovers... where I post information about farmers, etc. that sell leaf Lard and regular lard. Unfortunately, Carroll Farm to Table went out of business. Linda

Susan
5/30/2018 08:46:55 am

Determined that our households never go "lard-less"! Wowsa! Thanks so much for posting about this, Linda. I'd have been perplexed about what to do with the one-pound package I kept. This will be an adventure. The promise of cracklings is especially enticing. My mother used to make scrumptious cracklings and it's been years since I've had them. I never knew how she made them.

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Dawn
5/30/2018 09:38:00 am

I love rendering lard, but have been unsuccessful in my attempts to find a way to use cracklings so I am excited to try this recipe! My technique for rendering with picture tutorial is below:)

https://snapguide.com/guides/render-lard-for-homemade-pie-crust/

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Linda
5/30/2018 10:07:18 am

If you experiment with this or another recipe and find one you like better, let me know. I’d try it, too. Linda

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Lisa Keys link
11/20/2021 04:51:28 am

I can't even imagine what fresh leaf lard is like. I love to cook and bake with lard. Thankful for what I find in the grocery store.

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Kevin Baker link
11/15/2022 01:02:55 pm

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Sensual Hookups Connecticut link
1/15/2023 12:55:36 pm

Grateful for shaaring this

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