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OT - Leaf lard (now w pics)

20stone
20stone Posts: 1,961
edited March 2018 in EggHead Forum
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. 

(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

Austin, TX
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Comments

  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Wtf? 
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    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..
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Pig butter. MMMMmmmmmm...

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
    caliking said:
    Pig butter. MMMMmmmmmm...
    1/6 of it is yours, cowboy
    (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

    Austin, TX
  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,971
    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
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Woodchunk said:
    Two Fat Ladies

     =) 
    Holy crap!!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    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.
    You're welcome to have part of my share. You could possibly grab some in a few weeks. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
    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.
    You're welcome to have part of my share. You could possibly grab some in a few weeks. 
    We certainly have enough to share.  If you find yourself in Houston, grab a pint.
    (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

    Austin, TX
  • Woodchunk said:
    Wtf did I just watch?
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,602
    2 minutes of your life drain away.
  • I ain’t never heard a leaf lard.  What is it?  Can I make it after I rake the lawn?
  • cssmd27
    cssmd27 Posts: 345
    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
  • DWFII
    DWFII Posts: 317
    edited March 2018
    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.
    Bespoke boot and shoemaker--45+ years
    Instagram
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    @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 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • cssmd27
    cssmd27 Posts: 345
    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
  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,971
    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.
    You're welcome to have part of my share. You could possibly grab some in a few weeks. 
    @20stone in fact i'll be swinging through houston in a few weeks. @caliking and i have been in touch.

    "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
  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
    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.
    You're welcome to have part of my share. You could possibly grab some in a few weeks. 
    @20stone in fact i'll be swinging through houston in a few weeks. @caliking and i have been in touch.

    "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!
    Holler us up.  Nothing like an illicit transfer of pig butter in an unlabeled jar in a parking lot.
    (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

    Austin, TX
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    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!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • DWFII
    DWFII Posts: 317
    edited March 2018
    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.
    Thing is, "manteca" is the Spanish word for lard. I'm not aware of any other translation.  And indeed, echoing what you yourself said,  the lard... and the process we are talking about...is "just rendered pork fat" although it is my understanding that leaf lard makes the finest, most neutral version.

    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. 
    Bespoke boot and shoemaker--45+ years
    Instagram
  • cssmd27
    cssmd27 Posts: 345
    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.
    Thing is, "manteca" is the Spanish word for lard. I'm not aware of any other translation.  And indeed, echoing what you yourself said,  the lard... and the process we are talking about...is "just rendered pork fat" although it is my understanding that leaf lard makes the finest, most neutral version.

    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 - Yes, manteca is exactly as you described and sold cheaply at any Mexican meat market and I use it a lot.  Mainly for the flavor.  It has a roasted pig skin flavor.  I think this comes from the rendering process as they collect the drippings from roasted pig parts.  It's a tan color.  Leaf lard is as you described and the neutral flavor of it makes it ideal for pastries.  I was trying to think if there was a use for me to buy leaf lard over manteca since I rarely, if ever, make pastry types foods.  Instead of needing something neutral, I usually want the roasted pig flavor in my applications.

    And, btw, very cool boots on your instagram!  It's obvious you are all about the quality!
    Dallas (University Park), Texas
  • DWFII
    DWFII Posts: 317
    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
    Bespoke boot and shoemaker--45+ years
    Instagram
  • jimdgreat1
    jimdgreat1 Posts: 175
    I've rendered fat for bullet lube. Wonder if a local processor would sell kidney fat?

    XLBGE - LBGE - Charbroil gasgrill

    Wichita Kansas

  • DWFII
    DWFII Posts: 317
    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.
    Bespoke boot and shoemaker--45+ years
    Instagram
  • Austin  Egghead
    Austin Egghead Posts: 3,966
    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
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    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!    
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
    I recognize that grinder!  Go lem go!
  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
    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.
    Back in the day when
    1. People drank bad coffee, and
    2. Such coffee came in a metal can
    My mom did the same thing, keeping drippings (combo of bacon fat and leftover Crisco from frying chickens), and it was used for everything savory (more fried chicken, fried eggs, vegetable dishes, etc.)

    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 location

    Austin, TX
  • cssmd27
    cssmd27 Posts: 345
    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.  
    I'm pretty sure you're describing the manteca we discussed earlier in this thread and is traditionally used for tamales.  If so, that's not leaf lard.  It's tan colored and has a significant roasted pig flavor, which I fine great.  However, I wouldn't use that in pastries.  I highly recommend it for all savory applications though.
    Dallas (University Park), Texas
  • dcc
    dcc Posts: 90
    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