cooking with lard...do you or don't you?

hookilau
hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So, I had a few pounds of pastured pig fat left over from our last order of 1/4 share.

I rendered it in the crock pot overnight on low & now have 10-12 qt of the stuff. I thought I'd package up some into ball jars & for my mom & aunties this weekend.

Which got me to thinking, my mom is usually up on all recent stuff, so it's not going to be a stretch for her to use it in her cooking (traditional Trinidadian fare). Oddly (or not so much) the older immigrant ladies of my family (from France & from Trinidad) will likely be less combative than the younger ones because both are very 'up' on the latest healthy fats, so I'm sure this isn't the first they've heard of using lard to cook with in recent years.

However, it got me to thinking that depending on what kind of mood some of my aunties are in, they may get a little crazy :laugh:

So, time for a poll...how many of you guys who are very conscious of trying to lose/maintain weight cook with lard?

I'm planning to use this data to surmise what size jars to use when I gift my precious, pastured pig fat :laugh: :laugh:
«1

Replies

  • agrasso88
    agrasso88 Posts: 33 Member
    Everything I cook is in lard, butter or coconut oil. Great for higher heats.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    Everything I cook is in lard, butter or coconut oil. Great for higher heats.

    Uh-oh. It looks like there's only 2 of us :laugh:
    I guess I should go with the teensy half pint jars :wink:
  • SapiensPisces
    SapiensPisces Posts: 992 Member
    I love cooking with lard.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    I have never cooked with lard. I would not shut the door on the idea, it's just not something that has ever been a part of my world. I think probably the only time I've ever even eaten anything cooked with lard would be the times I've gone out for Mexican food locally. I'd use the small jars if it were me :laugh:
  • snoringcat
    snoringcat Posts: 131 Member
    Yes. Can't beat roast potatoes cooked in lard (or goose fat).
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I find it's particularly good for Chinese stir fries - the taste is wonderful with crispy vegetables like pak choi. I also like it in some breads, particularly when you're going to eat them with bacon!

    I don't think any fats are "evil". I save and use fats left over from cooking meats all the time (beef, duck, goose... yummy), but some I use more sparingly than others.
  • JenniDaisy
    JenniDaisy Posts: 526 Member
    I do if I have some rendered out from preparing something else, It's not something I'd go and buy.

    but If I can fit a spoonful to fry in into my macros, I will use it, it adds so much flavour especially pork fat.
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    Yep, but we use butter for most of our cooking, or left over bacon fat(grease).

    Mostly because we have stocks of butter and bacon fat.
    Lard we'll pick up a bit when it's on sale.
  • bethanyboomstick
    bethanyboomstick Posts: 52 Member
    I never have and I can't say I have any desire to. I live in the south, and I've eaten other people's cooking, which contained lard. I'm just personally not a fan. To me, it makes food tastes... off.
  • GabriellaMaria
    GabriellaMaria Posts: 150 Member
    i love cooking with ghee, makes food yummy, and gives a really rich authentic taste to indian meals..
    also, if i use fat to cook with, i tend to eat less, as i get full quicker, which is odd i guess...
    :drinker: :smile: :drinker: :happy:
  • miss_jessiejane
    miss_jessiejane Posts: 2,819 Member
    I use it when it's recipe appropriate. Some recipes don't taste as good if you use a substitute, and sometimes I just use it 'cause I feel like it.
  • abear007
    abear007 Posts: 84 Member
    We could with lard or real butter - no vegetable oils or fake butter.
  • 20Grit
    20Grit Posts: 752 Member
    I do. :bigsmile:
  • gabrielleelliott90
    gabrielleelliott90 Posts: 854 Member
    Oh gosh no, I use frylight, a 1 calorie sunflower oil spray here in England :)
  • Elsie_Brownraisin
    Elsie_Brownraisin Posts: 786 Member
    I make pastry with lard and get beef dripping from the butchers for roast potatoes, onion soup and yorkshire puddings.

    Until recently, I hadn't eaten anything cooked in lard for years, but we always had it for our chip pan when I was growing up and my grandparents used it all the time.

    We went on a big family holiday recently and my husbands grandparents use it by the bucketload. I had an egg fried in lard on toast one morning and it was pretty tasty. But on a couple of mornings I got up and my stomach turned from the piggy smell emanating from the kitchen.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I don't cook with lard. When I was growing up lard was only ever used for baking, and I don't bake much so I never have it on hand.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    i love cooking with ghee, makes food yummy, and gives a really rich authentic taste to indian meals..
    also, if i use fat to cook with, i tend to eat less, as i get full quicker, which is odd i guess...
    :drinker: :smile: :drinker: :happy:

    Not odd at all :wink:
    It's actually been reputed as one of the good points of cooking with & including fats in one's diet.
    I know for me too, it's definitely true.

    We also cook with a great deal of ghee. One of my aunties asked me about 'vegetable ghee' :sick: in retrospect, I think she was referring to Crisco. However, there were so many conversations flying that day, I thought for sure I'd heard her wrong and never addressed the question. Truthfully, it kind of stunned me :laugh:

    I didn't realize anyone still used hydrogenated cotton seed oils for cooking, thinking it's healthy, on purpose :ohwell:
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I do if I have some rendered out from preparing something else, It's not something I'd go and buy.

    but If I can fit a spoonful to fry in into my macros, I will use it, it adds so much flavour especially pork fat.

    this.

    I only use bacon grease and butter typically- I have olive oil for cooking- but mostly I use bacon grease- I've been slacking on cooking bacon- which means my supply is low. For shame- butter is so expensive.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I only use lard on occasion, usually for baking. I prefer pie crusts made with it and always use it when I make pasties. Generally I saute with olive oil or ghee.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    Yep, but we use butter for most of our cooking, or left over bacon fat(grease).

    Mostly because we have stocks of butter and bacon fat.
    Lard we'll pick up a bit when it's on sale.

    We started saving the bacon fat about a year ago or so, much like we used to do in the 70's. I've never purchased prepared lard before as ever since we started using it, we had always had a fairly large supply rendered from cooking bacon.

    As part of the 1/4 PP share, much to my surprise & delight, we got fat too. Crock pot rendering was easy as pie & I recommend it big time if you can get your hands on it :wink:

    I think I've read that the prepared lard you can buy at the store is deodorized & partially hydrogenated to increase shelf life. This is actually why I thought I'd give some away, as (the freshly rendered stuff) it's supposed to last up to 3 months in the fridge & 6 months in the freezer.

    I have waaay too much & there's no way we'd go through that much. I think I might have to start making pies & pastries to bring to my mom's house on the holidays :wink:

    edited for clarity
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I've never cooked with lard and unaware of this as a recent trend. I always just heard jokes about school cafeterias and Southern cooks using lard. I am totally ignorant about it and do not even know where you would obtain lard.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I've never cooked with lard and unaware of this as a recent trend. I always just heard jokes about school cafeterias and Southern cooks using lard. I am totally ignorant about it and do not even know where you would obtain lard.

    cook bacon.

    have lard.

    :)
  • teresamwhite
    teresamwhite Posts: 947 Member
    I use lard often, real butter, bacon & duck fat...the fat rendered from cooking meats is also saved and frozen in chunks for later.

    I think the flavor profile is so much better and the texture (baked goods) is better, too. It's important to be appropriate with the fats used, too...
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    I've never cooked with lard and unaware of this as a recent trend. I always just heard jokes about school cafeterias and Southern cooks using lard. I am totally ignorant about it and do not even know where you would obtain lard.

    cook bacon.

    have lard.

    :)

    :laugh: yes.

    I like to cook bacon at low heat & then strain warm fat through a fine sieve to remove the brown bits. Then I store it in the fridge. It should be noted that rendered fat from bacon DOES bring bacon-y flavor to foods cooked in it.

    I didn't realize the 'shelf life' was only up to 3 months in the fridge 6 months in the freezer, otherwise I'd not have rendered the whole thing at once :blushing: A 12 oz ball jar lasts us about 2 months.

    Live & learn. I had no idea just a couple of pounds would yield so much :laugh: Next time I'll only do a small bit at a time, I've got a 1 qt crock pot I used to use for dal that I can relegate to lard rendering.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    I do. I think the flavor of foods cooked with lard is much better than those cooked in plant oils.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I've never cooked with lard and unaware of this as a recent trend. I always just heard jokes about school cafeterias and Southern cooks using lard. I am totally ignorant about it and do not even know where you would obtain lard.

    cook bacon.

    have lard.

    :)

    Seriously embarrassing...I did not know "bacon grease" aka "bacon fat" = lard

    Thanks hahaha
  • VBnotbitter
    VBnotbitter Posts: 820 Member
    t4uwki.jpg
  • ceron1234
    ceron1234 Posts: 19 Member
    i love cooking with ghee, makes food yummy, and gives a really rich authentic taste to indian meals..
    also, if i use fat to cook with, i tend to eat less, as i get full quicker, which is odd i guess...
    :drinker: :smile: :drinker: :happy:

    Not odd at all :wink:
    It's actually been reputed as one of the good points of cooking with & including fats in one's diet.
    I know for me too, it's definitely true.

    We also cook with a great deal of ghee. One of my aunties asked me about 'vegetable ghee' :sick: in retrospect, I think she was referring to Crisco. However, there were so many conversations flying that day, I thought for sure I'd heard her wrong and never addressed the question. Truthfully, it kind of stunned me :laugh:

    I didn't realize anyone still used hydrogenated cotton seed oils for cooking, thinking it's healthy, on purpose :ohwell:

    Vegetable ghee.....:huh: don't think so
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I've never cooked with lard and unaware of this as a recent trend. I always just heard jokes about school cafeterias and Southern cooks using lard. I am totally ignorant about it and do not even know where you would obtain lard.

    cook bacon.

    have lard.

    :)

    :laugh: yes.

    I like to cook bacon at low heat & then strain warm fat through a fine sieve to remove the brown bits. Then I store it in the fridge. It should be noted that rendered fat from bacon DOES bring bacon-y flavor to foods cooked in it.

    I didn't realize the 'shelf life' was only up to 3 months in the fridge 6 months in the freezer, otherwise I'd not have rendered the whole thing at once :blushing: A 12 oz ball jar lasts us about 2 months.

    Live & learn. I had no idea just a couple of pounds would yield so much :laugh: Next time I'll only do a small bit at a time, I've got a 1 qt crock pot I used to use for dal that I can relegate to lard rendering.


    <<<<<< lazy

    I pour it all into a grease jar and just throw it in the fridge- it rarely lasts a week or to- but I never have more than a 8 oz can full.
    I found most of the brown bits settle to the bottom- which is a win win for me.

    What do you store yours in actually? I've been wondering how others do it- I tend to throw it in whatever I have lying about- right now it's a black bean can- but I'm thinking of transferring to a mason jar.
  • KaterinaTerese
    KaterinaTerese Posts: 345 Member
    Lard pie crust. It's perfection.

Categories