Animal fat, despite its bad reputation, nourished the robust health of generation upon generation of families across the globe, until modern vegetable oils replaced them in the early part of the twentieth century. Like offal and bones, the fat of a freshly slaughtered hog or steer would never be wasted or cast off as unwanted. Consider approaching ranchers early in the season, before the harvest, if you plan to purchase pork fat for rendering lard or beef suet for rendering tallow. Due to the innate leanness of pasture-raised pork and grass-fed beef, ranchers often request that butchers add any extra fat to sausage or ground meat. By requesting it in advance of the harvest, they may set aside a bit for your larder. When rendering lard, ask for leaf lard—that is, the fat around the kidneys of the hog. The soft texture and mild flavor of leaf lard make it ideal for baking.
MAKES: ABOUT 1 QUART
INGREDIENTS:
- Water 3 pounds
- pork fat or beef suet
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Set a large, deep, heavy pot on the stove. Pour about a cup of water into the pot.
- Mince the fat very finely or shred it using a box grater or the grater attachment of your food processor. The finer the fat, the more effectively it will render. Add the fat to the pot and turn the heat to low. Cover the pot and allow the fat to soften and liquify.
- After about 3 hours, turn off the heat. With a spoon, remove any large pieces of fat from the pot and set them aside. Very carefully pour the liquid fat through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass jar. Cover and store in a cool place in your kitchen. The lard or tallow will keep for several months.
- You can make cracklings by cooking the reserved pieces of fat in a hot skillet over high heat for about 5 minutes, until brown and crisp.
