To Try Out Lard
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut the leaf lard into small pieces and place it in an iron kettle.
Add 1 to 2 cups of water to prevent sticking and burning.
Render
Melt the lard slowly, stirring frequently with a wooden ladle to avoid scorching.
Simmer until all pieces turn golden brown, then add a little salt to settle it.
Store
Let it cool, then pour into warm jars to prevent cracking.
Once cold and hard, seal the jars with clean, heavy paper and store in a cool, dry cellar.
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
- Provides the fat that melts down to become the rendered lard itself.
- Water
- Prevents the lard from sticking and burning while it melts.
The step that matters
Melt the lard slowly and stir frequently. Fat scorches when it overheats against the bottom of the kettle, and scorched lard tastes bitter and darkens. Slow heat and frequent stirring keep the pieces from sticking and burning as the water cooks off.
“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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