Have you ever wondered how to render lard? Or perhaps ever wondered why you should render lard? This is a step-by-step guide to rendering lard resulting in a natural white fat, full of nutritional benefits and ready to be used!
Jump to Instructions
What is Lard?
Lard is typically the back fat or leaf fat from a hog. However, there are two types of fat: back fat and leaf fat. Back fat is all of the subcutaneous fat (such as fat found on the back). It has a snowy appearance and is commonly used in cooking and frying. Leaf fat is the fat surrounding the organs, particularly the kidneys. This fat is whiter and typically used in baking pastries or pie crusts. Both have their special uses. When you are rendering these fats keep these uses in mind. You will want to keep the back fat separate from the leaf fat and render them separately.
Why Use Lard instead of Vegetable Oil?
It seems as though people are getting more on board with using natural fats rather than hydrogenated oils. Lard is an excellent source of vitamin D. Just one tablespoon of lard from pastured pigs contains almost 1,000 international units of vitamin D. Consuming a natural ingredient is much easier for our bodies to utilize and therefor much more effective than a supplement. Lard is rich in vitamin B, which is believed to help alleviate inflammation and pain. Not only is it a healthier option than its hydrogenated counterparts, but it also has a high smoke point. This makes it a go to for baking, frying, and sautéing without burning. Furthermore, rendering lard is a simple process that yields a healthier product free from bleaching, hydrogenation, or artificial modification.
Rendered pork fat is called lard, whereas rendered beef fat is called tallow. Most of the fat that I choose to render for tallow is the leaf fat. Leaf fat, as previously noted, is located around the kidneys. When I have meat that requires trimming, sometimes I will save the fat and render it down to use in cooking as well. This type of fat always has a stronger flavor. Both of these fats contain many vitamins and minerals.
What is the Difference between Pork Fat and Beef Fat?
While both fats may be used interchangeably, there are several factors to consider before substituting lard with tallow:
- Tallow is harder than lard at room temperature, as well as in the refrigerator. For this reason, I often line a bread pan with parchment paper and pour the tallow into the pan to harden. Once it has become hard enough, I cut it into blocks and wrap it in parchment paper. Then I store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Lard made from leaf fat has a much milder taste than tallow. This makes lard an excellent choice to use in pie crusts and pastries.
- Tallow made from leaf fat is typically what I save for making lotion.
- While both lard and tallow can be used in frying and roasting, I prefer to use tallow. I have found that tallow often results in a crispier crust (think French fries or fried chicken).
- As far as nutrition goes, tallow contains a multitude of vitamins such as A, B, E, K, and B12. While lard does have fewer nutritional benefits, it does contain high levels of vitamin D so long as it comes from pastured pork.
What is the Best Way to Store Lard?
Rendered lard is a shelf stable product. When are storing it on your pantry shelf, be sure it is in a cool and dark place. If moisture or condensation gets into the jar it may develop mold. When this happens, it is perfectly fine to scrape the mold off of the top, just as you would cut mold off of a block of cheese. You may also store lard in the refrigerator for up to a year and in the freezer for up to two years! I typically store open jars of lard in the refrigerator.
Additional Uses for Pork Fat
Tallow balm has become a huge hit in recent years. It is easily absorbed leaving your skin feeling silky and smooth. Did you know that lard can be used for lotion as well? The idea of rubbing tallow all over your skin is slightly more glamorous than rubbing lard all over your skin. All of this to say, lard from pasture raised pigs is incredibly nourishing for our skin. Not only that, but it does not smell like it came from an animal. Rendered leaf lard does not really have a smell, and it is easy to adjust the fragrance with some of your favorite essential oils.
If you’re curious about the benefits of using lard in your skincare, I highly recommend exploring Farrow Life’s offerings. They focus on raising their animals with a conservation-based approach using sustainable practices which is better for the environment and the welfare of the animals.
Sourcing Pork Fat and Beef Fat
Lard from pastured pigs contains significantly higher amounts of vitamins. This is because they spend their days roaming around, rooting the ground, basking in fresh air and sunshine. Remember that animals will store the nutrients from what they consume in their fat cells. This is why the quality of feed and proper living environment is essential when it comes to sourcing fat.
The Best Pigs for Lard
If you are wondering if there are differences in fat among the pig breeds, you are absolutely right! There are two basic differences in pigs when it comes to fat: lard pigs and meat pigs. Lard pigs are known for having a higher fat-to-meat ratio than meat pigs. Meat pigs are breeds known for growing muscle and giving a higher yield of meat and bacon. They tend to have a longer body than your average lard pig who tends to be more compact. Keep in mind that both types of pigs produce meat and fat, and there are plenty of variances within the breeds. Additionally, the way an animal is raised can greatly influence your yield. Consider how an animal is fed as well as the age of a pig at the time of harvest.
| Lard Pigs | Meat Pigs |
| Pot-Bellied | Tamworth |
| Mangalista | Duroc |
| Large Black | Yorkshire |
| American Guinea Hogs | Hampshire |
| Mule Foot | Berkshire |
What Are Cracklings?
We must talk about cracklings! Cracklings are a glorious byproduct of rendering lard! Once the fat is completely rendered, the cracklings should have a golden to dark golden-brown appearance. Do not throw these treasures away! Cracklings have multiple uses, and they freeze very well! Please take a look at some ways you can use the cracklings:
- Crackling Cornbread
- Lightly salt them and eat a few as a snack
- Use them as toppings for a salad
- Feed them to your chickens!
How to Render Lard
Equipment
- 1 Stock Pot
- 1 Metal Slotted Spoon
- 1 Fine Mesh Metal Strainer
- 1 Metal Sieve
- 1 Metal Canning Funnel optional
- 2 Butter Muslin or Cheesecloths
- Several Glass Jars pint or quart mason jars work very well
Instructions
- There is no need to thaw out the pork fat before beginning the rendering process. Thaw it out just enough to where you can pull the still frozen pieces apart. Fat thaws out very quickly and gets very slippery, so the colder the better!
- First, we must take the still mostly frozen chunks of pork fat and cut them up into evenly sized pieces. Trim off any membrane (typically found more on the leaf fat).
- Add the pork fat to the stainless-steel pot and bring the temperature to a medium low heat. Be sure to keep the temperature low to avoid burning or scorching the fat.
- While simmering on a low temperature, continue stirring frequently at first. We want to ensure they are heating evenly.
- Once all of the fat is heated all the way through, continue to stir every 30 to 40 minutes. This ensures it cooks evenly and is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. The cracklings will begin to brown, and that is just fine. Just be sure to keep the heat on a low setting.
- Continue simmering until the fat has liquified. It will bubble a lot. This is the moisture within the fat, and our goal for the lard is to have only the fat remaining, meaning we have cooked off all of the moisture. Many of the cracklings will be a golden brown.
- The lard has been completely rendered once the simmering has stopped, even while the heat remains on a low setting. It is essential to we are sure all of the excess moisture and impurities are out of the fat.
- Next, using a slotted spoon, skim off the cracklings onto a paper towel lined plate.
- Using a fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth (or butter muslin), begin straining the liquid fat into a glass or stainless-steel bowl. Remember to strain the lard twice to ensure all of the impurities are strained out. Use a fresh cheesecloth or butter muslin each time.
- Pour the rendered lard into your warmed glass jars. Using a stainless-steel canning funnel will help avoid splashes or messes. Be sure your glass jars are sitting on a couple layers of dish towels. This will help avoid breaking glass when we pour the already hot liquid into the warm jars. The towels protect the jars from the cooler countertop.
- Fill the jars almost to the top. If you are planning on letting these jars set on a shelf at room temperature, put the metal canning lid and ring on immediately. Do not continue filling the other jars at this point. This will help create a nice seal. Once the lid and ring are on the jar, continue to the next jar. If you are planning on storing the lard in the refrigerator or freezer, just continue filling the jars and place the lid on after you have filled all of the jars.
- At this point, the lard will still look yellow. It will become whiter as the fat continues to cool. Let the jars continue to cool for 24 hours. The lard is ready to store once it has completely cooled.
