No. 1 Neutral Lard
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the lard
Chill the lard for 24 hours at 32°F.
Slice the lard into 1‑inch squares using a set of knives.
Hash the lard to a pulp and melt it in a jacketed kettle at 120°F for 2.5 hours.
Clarify and store
Draw off the melted lard into a clarifier and shake in the butter salt.
Allow to stand for 1 hour for floating particles to settle.
Transfer to storage at 45°F, removing bungs for 16 hours to allow odors to escape.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Neutral lard
- Forms the entire fat base, providing the texture and richness of the finished product.
- Butter salt
- Seasons the rendered lard with salt and flavor.
The step that matters
Melt the lard at a controlled 120°F. Melting at a steady, moderate temperature separates the fat from tissue without scorching it. Overheating can darken the lard and produce off flavors, while too little heat leaves fat trapped in the pulp.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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