Lard (vegetarians, don't look here)

[spinbaby]

We're down to the last bits of the fall's half hog. In the interests of using what I have, I took one of the packages labeled "Pork Fat" from the freezer, thawed it in the fridge, and heated it over low heat until it was clear fat with a clump of cooked pork in the middle. I skimmed off the pork (it went to the top of the compost pile for the enjoyment of our local raccoon) and chilled the remaining fat. It looks like lard, but still smells a bit "porky." The only thing I know how to make with lard is pie crust and I certainly don't want that pork flavored. Now what?

[hippywife]

1. I was going to make a lard pie crust

yesterday but my lard had gone bad. Maybe put yours in the freezer for a while and give it a chance to calm down from its "porkiness." I've never rendered lard before but I imagine the smell is strong because it is so fresh, and because you smelled it quite a bit during the rendering process, leaving the aroma to linger in your nostrils for a while.

[spinbaby]

2. It's in the fridge resting

I never knew lard could go bad. I've always bought it in little plastic containers and kept it refrigerated so it would be cold and ready for pie crusts. Nothing makes crusts flaky like lard.

[hippywife]

3. Well, it was sealed

in an ziplock baggie when I bought it fresh from the coop and was in the fridge. I didn't open and use it soon enough I guess because it was moldy. I also suspect I should have transferred it into something more air-tight.

[spinbaby]

4. It was probably less processed

The lard from the store is impervious like Crisco, but the fresh stuff is less processed, deoderized, and bleached. I'll have to keep in mind to use or freeze mine soon. Maybe I'll start with a crust for a savory pie and see how that works out.

[hippywife]

5. If you like quiche

we make on that is really delicious with baby bella mushrooms, onions, fresh spinach, feta mixed in and cheddar on top. We used to fry bacon for it and saute the veggies (except the spinach) in the grease. My husband also adds a wee pinch of nutmeg to it. It's one of our favorite meals and we usually have it with either a baked sweet potato or butternut squash.

And the lard is very fresh and much less processed. One of our producers who does prepared foods gets the fat from one of the other producers who raises hogs.

[yellerpup]

6. I freeze the lard that I make at home.

How long it lasts in the refrigerator seems to vary from batch to batch. While cooking for fund raisers of our local historical society we try to stick to colonial era recipes and techniques (where practical) and I was not the only volunteer who gagged a little when the recipe called for bacon grease in cakes and other baked goods. While bacon in the colonial era was probably smoked and air cured (instead of having artificial smoke flavoring added at the factory) several of the cooks did make cakes with bacon grease and none of us actually tasted the bacon flavor. I suppose we could chalk that up to the amount of sugar and spice used, but we were all surprised that there was no greasy mouth-feel and no bacon-y taste.

[Warpy]

7. Use it for general savory cooking

Fry your potatoes in it, fry your fish in it, sweat veg for spaghetti sauce in it. It will impart that vaguely porky flavor to everything. Use it for piecrust for savory pies like Cornish pasties. The stuff is pure gold for savory cooking.

Likely you rendered it down just a little too far and allowed the raccoon food to brown and flavor it a bit. Had you gone a bit more, you'd have ended up with cracklings and the raccoon would have had to fight you for it.

[Retrograde]

8. refried beans

any good Mexican cookbook should have a recipe. Basically, cook pinto beans with some spices until tender, drain, and fry in lard, mashing as you go. Add the bean liquid to get the consistency you like. I use a potato masher to mash mine.

Use the lard like any other cooking fat for browning onions, meats, etc. You could probably use it for making biscuits, especially if you're planning on making biscuits and gravy.

[12AngryBorneoWildmen]

11. You nailed it.

Frijoles Refritos. It's my tombstone dish. Soak 3# pintos and 1# black beans overnight. Simmer beans with 1# chopped onions for 3 hr, adding H2O when necesario. Add 1 to 1 & 1/2# lard (depending on your desired richness). Continue simmering, and as it thickens keep scraping the bottom with a flat edged implement (spatula or wooden thingy). This keeps incorporating the fried fond (or crust) into the body of the mass. Continue to add H2O throughout when it becomes too thick. You could do this for another 2 hr, intermittently. It begins to smell almost like chocolate. 1/2 the time I add about 3 heaping TBSP of garllic at this point and the other times I don't. Continue for another 1/2 hr either way. Season with salt to your liking (or as I have begun to do lately-FISH SAUCE-LOOK INTO 'UMAMI'-it will not come out fishy-just elevated taste sensing). And ¡HAY CHIHUAHUA!

[MajorChode]

9. You can use it for anything you'd normally use shortening

It's actually not as un-healthy as shortening(which is not saying much).

I always keep it around for seasoning cast iron and making cornbread, if nothing else.

If you have a lot of it, you can always use it for deep fat frying. You'd be surprised at how much better french fries and fried chicken will be.

[The empressof all]

10. I'd use it for empanadas or a chili pie

Just make little hand pies with it using some chili or pulled pork for the filling. And invite me over because that sounds really, really good.

[Kali]

12. oh it's really no good

you should just freeze it, pack it with some dry ice, and send it to me - I will dispose of it for you :P