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OT - Leaf lard (now w pics)
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20stone
Posts: 1,961
We have had biscuit threads and charcuterie threads that sing the praises of leaf lard. At long last, with more pork headed my way, I rendered a bunch of leaf lard to make room in the freezer today.
This is the mound of it from 1.5 hogs, more or less, and I hadn't realized how much I had. I was focused on maximizing yield, so I went with the slow cook vs SV method, pretty much following this approach:
http://www.tasteofsouthern.com/how-to-render-leaf-lard/
However, grinding is faster than chopping, and gets it pieces even finer, even with a coarse grind.
Into the pot, with a splash of water (about a cup, if I were to guess) on the bottom to keep it from cooking while its just getting started. The goal is to acheive a slow melt, and not even get it simmering. That is a 25 qt pot. We have a bit of this.
We actually had cheesecloth, so I was able to filter like a pro.
All said and done, 16 pints of leaf lard, ready for biscuits and pies (and tamales), none of which I am eating, but they'll be awesome nonetheless.
This is the mound of it from 1.5 hogs, more or less, and I hadn't realized how much I had. I was focused on maximizing yield, so I went with the slow cook vs SV method, pretty much following this approach:
http://www.tasteofsouthern.com/how-to-render-leaf-lard/
However, grinding is faster than chopping, and gets it pieces even finer, even with a coarse grind.
Into the pot, with a splash of water (about a cup, if I were to guess) on the bottom to keep it from cooking while its just getting started. The goal is to acheive a slow melt, and not even get it simmering. That is a 25 qt pot. We have a bit of this.
We actually had cheesecloth, so I was able to filter like a pro.
All said and done, 16 pints of leaf lard, ready for biscuits and pies (and tamales), none of which I am eating, but they'll be awesome nonetheless.
(now only 16 stone)
Joule SV
GE induction stove
Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
Prosciuttos in an undisclosed location
Joule SV
GE induction stove
Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
Prosciuttos in an undisclosed location
Austin, TX
Comments
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Very cool you put aside the visceral soft fat to make this.
(I'm sure many of us eggers, unfortunately me included, have visceral fat in abundance).
I think you took the best approach, based on a brief dive into a rather weird rabbit hole. So what came up (in said dive):
Larding - (something leaf fat is not good for because it just "leaks" out) - using a larding needle, inserting fat in lean meat. More popular when most meat was lean, or game.
Caul fat - a lacy fat membrane for wrapping meats. I'm sure you're all over this!
Good work, as usual, John. Jack Sprat would be disappointed, his wife, elated.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
Pig butter. MMMMmmmmmm...#1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February 2013 • #3 Mini May 2013A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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caliking said:Pig butter. MMMMmmmmmm...(now only 16 stone)
Joule SV
GE induction stove
Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
Prosciuttos in an undisclosed locationAustin, TX -
that looks amazing. if you find you have an excess, i'll gladly purchase. my wife makes killer pie crust and she only wants leaf lard for it.Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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Woodchunk said:Two Fat Ladies
I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!
MichaelCentral Connecticut -
blind99 said:that looks amazing. if you find you have an excess, i'll gladly purchase. my wife makes killer pie crust and she only wants leaf lard for it.#1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February 2013 • #3 Mini May 2013A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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caliking said:blind99 said:that looks amazing. if you find you have an excess, i'll gladly purchase. my wife makes killer pie crust and she only wants leaf lard for it.(now only 16 stone)
Joule SV
GE induction stove
Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
Prosciuttos in an undisclosed locationAustin, TX -
Woodchunk said:Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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The Cen-Tex Smoker said:Woodchunk said:
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I ain’t never heard a leaf lard. What is it? Can I make it after I rake the lawn?
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Any great uses for leaf lard specifically outside of pastries? I know it's very neutral flavor, but usually when I'm using rendered regular pig fat, I want the flavor. Not sure I would have need for leaf lard since I don't cook any pastries.Dallas (University Park), Texas
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Leaf lard is the fat around the kidneys.Naturally rendered, it is far better, both in quality and in terms of being healthy, than anything you can buy prepackaged at the store.
It can be used anywhere Crisco is called for and some sources claim it is much healthier than any other fat barring olive oil.
It can be used in cookies, pie crust, frying, and it is excellent for making masa for tamales, etc.. Again, anywhere a recipe calls for Crisco (which, BTW, is one of those processed foods that is actually dangerous over the long term and not just because it is fat).
Lard is also the fat that our grandparents and their parents and their parents...time-out-of-mind...used when there was no Crisco (or other processed and preserved expedience) available.
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@DWFII you forgot cornbread. A hot skillet greased with lard makes some great cornbread .#1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February 2013 • #3 Mini May 2013A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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Tamales typically use manteca which is just rendered pig fat and has lots of pork flavor that is useful and desirable in tamales. Don't think I would want to use a flavorless fat for them.
Dallas (University Park), Texas -
caliking said:blind99 said:that looks amazing. if you find you have an excess, i'll gladly purchase. my wife makes killer pie crust and she only wants leaf lard for it.
"Hey honey, remember those guys on the forum i told you about? who raise their own pigs and make lard?" i think this sounds like an excellent idea!Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle -
blind99 said:caliking said:blind99 said:that looks amazing. if you find you have an excess, i'll gladly purchase. my wife makes killer pie crust and she only wants leaf lard for it.
"Hey honey, remember those guys on the forum i told you about? who raise their own pigs and make lard?" i think this sounds like an excellent idea!(now only 16 stone)
Joule SV
GE induction stove
Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
Prosciuttos in an undisclosed locationAustin, TX -
You can blame Bill Proctor and Jim Gamble for convincing people to shun lard. In favor of their very own Crisco of course. How convenient, no more rendering! This happened in 1911!!
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/01/09/144918710/the-forgotten-fascinating-saga-of-crisco
I don't know if real lard is sold in standard grocery stores anywhere, but I've never seen it. All I've seen is that Armour crap in the green and white box (lard and hydrogenated lard, bha, propyl gallate and citric acid). Check the label if you think you're getting real lard. Including that labeled "Manteca".
https://www.fooducate.com/app#!page=product&id=FE78D7CA-E54A-11E1-83D2-1231381BA074
Most folks are probably still convinced that lard (even real lard) is the worst form of fat anyway.
I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!
MichaelCentral Connecticut -
cssmd27 said:Tamales typically use manteca which is just rendered pig fat and has lots of pork flavor that is useful and desirable in tamales. Don't think I would want to use a flavorless fat for them.
Not to put too fine a point on it...and not disagreeing because I have not actually made the masa for tamales myself...I have made lard and used lard in other applications (including traditional old world German Christmas cookies).
Perhaps manteca is the pork fat equivalent of mescal and lard made from kidney fat is like pure, blue agave tequilla. -
DWFII said:cssmd27 said:Tamales typically use manteca which is just rendered pig fat and has lots of pork flavor that is useful and desirable in tamales. Don't think I would want to use a flavorless fat for them.
Not to put too fine a point on it...and not disagreeing because I have not actually made the masa for tamales myself...I have made lard and used lard in other applications (including traditional old world German Christmas cookies).
Perhaps manteca is the pork fat equivalent of mescal and lard made from kidney fat is like pure, blue agave tequilla.
And, btw, very cool boots on your instagram! It's obvious you are all about the quality!Dallas (University Park), Texas -
Thought people might appreciate this article: Is lard healthy There are numerous articles on the 'net that validate lard as a healthy cooking fat, just Bing "Is lard healthy?"
BTW, lard...like in those canning jars in the OP...will keep in the freezer up to three years and up to a year in the fridge.
@cssmd27 Thank you for the kind words -
I've rendered fat for bullet lube. Wonder if a local processor would sell kidney fat?
XLBGE - LBGE - Charbroil gasgrill
Wichita Kansas
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You may have to live somewhat rural but there are companies...usually mom & pop shops...that go out and do the killing and butchering as well as cut and wrap. Lots of times they will throw away the fat that they don't use in sausage, etc.. Just ask that the next time they go out on a kill they save the leaf lard for you. I've also got caul fat from the same folks.
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Most Michoacana or Fiestas grocery stores in the Texas have leaf lard. Just don't call it leaf lard, as for match "para los tamales". If you have a real butcher that you frequent, ask them to save you leaf lard. Most people who slaughter their own stock don't want the stuff.Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
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I've never rendered my own cooking fat from pork, although I did experiment with "supermarket" lard (in a two-toned blue box) while stationed in Albuturkey. It was, meh.
However.
On a whim, or possibly something I read somewhere, I started pouring my bacon fat out of the frying pan, into a 28-oz tomato can in the cupboard. (now I remember, it was I'd read pouring grease down the sink was bad for the wastewater treatment system).
It doesn't take too many breakfasts before you have a nice 28-oz can of "bacon lard". It was never refrigerated but it always smelled sweet, and I know the American pioneers kept their lard in a wooden barrel in the root cellar.
I started cooking with it, and it provides the best red-chile-n-cheese corn enchiladas in this 5-state area (melting about 3 tablespoons into a small frying pan is just right for crisping up 3 to 4 corn tortillas). Magic!_____________Tin soldiers and Johnson's coming...
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I recognize that grinder! Go lem go!
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Botch said:I've never rendered my own cooking fat from pork, ...However...[o]n a whim, I started pouring my bacon fat out of the frying pan, into a 28-oz tomato can in the cupboard.
- People drank bad coffee, and
- Such coffee came in a metal can
I also keep jars of "drippins", and use them for the same things.
Leaf lard is for pies and biscuits, though, and has no equal substitute.(now only 16 stone)
Joule SV
GE induction stove
Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
Prosciuttos in an undisclosed locationAustin, TX -
Austin Egghead said:Most Michoacana or Fiestas grocery stores in the Texas have leaf lard. Just don't call it leaf lard, as for match "para los tamales". If you have a real butcher that you frequent, ask them to save you leaf lard. Most people who slaughter their own stock don't want the stuff.Dallas (University Park), Texas
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Little bit of thread creep; but here is a little bit of lard history that had retreated into the dim recesses of my brain and was resurrected by this thread.
http://www.guns.com/2013/01/19/how-gun-lube-brought-down-the-british-empire/
Houston (Clear Lake) TX
2 LBGE, 1 Mini-Max
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