Home-rendered Lard or Tallow

Home-rendered Lard

Animal fats are one of the most traditional food items there are. They nourished the health of generations across the globe, until industry got in the way and modern vegetable oils replaced them in the early part of the twentieth century. Industrially produced vegetable fats, like margarine, vegetable shortening and soy and corn oils began replacing traditional cooking fats like lard, tallow and butter. What followed were several decades of these unnatural, industrially produced fats being hailed as health giving, championed for their perceived health benefits. Traditional animal fats fell out of favour, with many (like lard and tallow) being actively discouraged. Most people with an interest in contemporary nutrition are now aware of the negative health impact of highly processed, inflammatory oils. Writers like Sally Fallon-Morell (founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation - a worldwide organization educating on and promoting traditional foods) have been defending traditional fats and warning of the negative impact of industrially produced fats and oils for many years. And modern nutrition is finally catching up.

Of all the animal fats, lard has probably the most maligned. But the science doesn’t back up the fear. And it never did. The primary fat found in lard is monounsaturated fat - the same found in olive oil and avocados, which is understood to support optimal cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health. Not all lard is created equal, though. Pigs raised outdoors with plenty of access to natural sunlight (especially during the warmer months) produce large amounts of vitamin D (as well as other vital fat-soluble vitamins) in their skin and fat. This makes lard from pasture-raised pigs one of the richest food sources of vitamin D (essential for health - especially immune and bone health). If you can source leaf lard from traditionally outdoor-reared pigs from a small, local farm then you can make high-quality, nutrient-dense lard at home. Leaf lard is the fat from around the kidneys. This is the kind you want for this. While you would avoid the harm of processed vegetable oils by buying standard supermarket lard, you simply wouldn’t be getting the same benefits. Truly pasture-raised pork fat contains a whopping 12 times more vitamin D than ‘conventionally’ raised pork (they are also raised in much better conditions). Find a small, local farmer who really does raise pigs outdoors using traditional methods.

Lard and tallow have a high smoke point and are both excellent in savoury dishes like roast potatoes or meats. They also add depth to soups and stews as a coking oil and make rich, flaky pastry. Tallow is especially good for deep-fat frying (I use a wok and fry things in small batches).

We live near a local, small-scale traditional pig farmer who rears rare-breed Suffolk pigs. Not only are they outdoor reared, the breed itself is especially high in fat. I request the leaf lard and the farmer holds some back for me and has kindly begun having it minced for me beforehand as well. He’d never used lard before - but since I dropped a jar in to them they’ve begun enjoying using this traditional cooking fat too.

This recipe will also make tallow - which uses the same process only beef leaf fat. Tallow has a milder flavour and I use each for different recipes. We are also lucky to be able to get high quality, grass-fed and also organic beef leaf fat locally. Do ask around - and use your local farmers as much as you can. My tip is to ask in advance for your leaf fat to be minced - you will save yourself a LOT of work.

Ingredients (makes 2 large or 3 medium jars)

1kg / 2.5lb pork or beef fat (make sure you ask specifically for leaf lard)

1/4 cup filtered water

Instructions

If your leaf fat isn’t already minced, you will need to either finely chop or mince it yourself. If you have a mincer, that will be perfect. If not, you can also use a food processor with a grater setting. If using this method, chop lard into chunks big enough to feed into the grater (the clean up job afterwards is massive, though). If you don’t have either, you can grate by hand - but you’ll need to set some time aside! Or you can also simply chop the leaf fat into small cubes. If you can get the fat pre-minced, though, that makes things so much easier (and less messy afterwards).

Place all the fat into the bowl of a large slow cooker.

Pour in the water (this is just to stop any burning - it will evaporate off).

Put on the lid and set the slow cooker to its lowest setting. Allow the fat to soften and liquify, stiring occasionally. Do not allow the fat to bubble or burn at all - you want a slow cook, which will result in a milder, purer white lard or tallow.

Once the fat has melted (this will depend on the heat of your slow cooker but should take no more than 1-2 hours), you will be left with a few hard bits that will stay solid. With a spoon, remove any remaining solid pieces.

Turn off the slow cooker and allow to cool until the bowl reaches a temperature that can be safely handled.

Meanwhile, place a fine metal sieve over a bowl. Place a piece of muslin over the sieve. Very carefully (the fat will be boiling hot), pour the fat through the sieve and muslin cloth and into the bowl.

Using a metal jam funnel, pour the liquid lard into sterilised glass jars.

Leave to cool and solidify. Keep refrigerated and use liberally in cooking.