To Melt Lard
Ingredients
Directions
Render the lard
Remove the skin from the inside fat of the pig and slice it thinly.
Place the fat in a new or well-scrubbed jar.
Set the jar in a pan of boiling water and let it simmer until melted.
Strain the melted fat into small stone jars or deep earthen pans.
Once cold, cover with the skin or thoroughly washed and dried bladders.
Preserve and store
To preserve, rub coarse sea salt on the fat and let it sit for two days.
Rinse the fat and cover it with brine, changing it occasionally in warm weather.
When ready to use, soak in cold water for 2-3 hours, then wipe dry.
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
- Inside fat of a freshly killed pig
- Is the main material that melts down into the lard and gives it its richness.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws out moisture and slows spoilage, helping the fat keep during preservation.
- Water
- Forms the brine that covers the preserved fat and keeps it submerged and protected.
The step that matters
Melting the fat gently in a water bath. Setting the jar in simmering water, rather than heating the fat directly, keeps the temperature moderate so the fat melts without scorching or browning. Straining afterward removes solid bits that would otherwise spoil the lard sooner.
“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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