To Try Out Lard
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Skin the leaf lard carefully and cut it into small pieces.
Put the lard into a kettle or saucepan and pour in the water to prevent burning.
Render
Set it over the fire to melt slowly, stirring frequently.
Let it simmer until only brown scraps remain.
Remove the scraps with a perforated skimmer and add a little salt to settle the fat.
Finish and strain
When clear, strain through a coarse cloth into jars.
Watch it constantly and stir from the bottom until the salt is added.
Set it back on the range until clear, avoiding scorching.
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
- Leaf lard
- The fat itself; melting it separates clear liquid fat from water and browned tissue solids.
The step that matters
Melting slowly without scorching. Lard that is heated too fast or left unstirred on the bottom of the pan can scorch, because the remaining tissue solids and proteins brown and burn, giving the fat a bitter, off flavour. Gentle heat and frequent stirring keep the fat clear and mild.
“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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