How to Render Lard

Turn off heat and allow to cool. Place pot in refrigerator and chill overnight.

When mixture is completely chilled, pop out the chunk of white lard sitting on top of the water. The cracklings will have settled to the bottom in the water. Chop and store in glass jars or airtight containers.

Substitute lard for “shortening” in any recipe. Use lard in place of oil when frying, in pastries like pie crusts or cinnamon rolls, and when sautéing vegetables or roasting potatoes. You’ll be delighted with the texture and flavor (or lack of pork flavor) that real lard provides.

Cinnamon rolls recipe with lard

These cinnamon rolls use an old-fashioned, but time-honored, method of first making a sponge dough, which allows the dough to ferment and build extra flavor before being combined with the rest of the ingredients. These are large, bakery-style rolls, and the buttermilk icing is irresistible!

A decidedly modern trick for slicing the dough roll: Use unflavored, unwaxed dental floss to cleanly cut the dough into rounds; it’s light enough to allow you to slice through the soft dough without squeezing out the filling. 

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe With Lard

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups lukewarm water
8 1/2 to 9 1/2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour, divided
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup lard, chilled, plus more for greasing
1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Icing: 

3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In large bowl, combine yeast, salt, lukewarm water and 4 cups flour. With large rubber spatula, mix together thoroughly; dough will be very sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm place to rise for 2 hours. (This is the sponge.)

In separate large bowl, cream together sugar and lard; add 2 cups flour, one at a time, stirring well after each addition; mixture will resemble pie dough.

In small bowl, beat egg and yolks with electric mixer on medium-high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cold water to eggs and stir to combine.

Combine the 3 mixtures all at once in sponge bowl and beat on low speed until smooth. Add enough additional flour (up to 2 1/2 cups) to make dough similar to consistency of bread dough. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm place to rise, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.