Lard: How to Render
How to Render Lard
by Karen Keb
Creating edible lard from pig fat at home involves harvesting the leaf fat (deposited in the kidney area) and back fat from the hog, grinding or dicing it, and processing.
1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
2. Fill a large roasting pan with the chopped fat.
3. Roast slowly for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the fat has melted and you have protein particles and connective tissue floating on top.
4. Skim off the solid particles and set them aside for the chickens.
5. Pour the liquid fat through a mesh colander lined with a double layer of cheesecloth.
6. Store in a glass canning jar in the refrigerator or freezer. It will keep for months.
Use the lard in place of oil when frying, in pastry such as pie crusts, and for sauteing vegetables or roasting potatoes. You’ll be delighted with the texture and flavor (or lack of pork flavor) that real lard—not the hydrogenated kind sold on supermarket shelves—provides.
