Growing up, my mom used to make us asian noodles with bacon fat and a little salt. *Tip – Ask your family farmer to have the fat ground. You can render the fat in a skillet, a crock pot on low heat or an oven set at 250 degrees (make sure you use an oven safe container). Janie x. Memories.Monday Washday.cold meat but there was always plenty of bread n drippin for Monday’s break fast n “SNAP” ie sandwich to take to the pit/ mine.We didn’t have Cornish Pasties.lol. However, if you have excess and you’re not sure, why not pop it in a separate container and freeze it? My grandmother used to add a half cup of water to the pan of bacon and cover with a lid…I’m using her method but I do have a question: when I put the collected fat in my jar and let it set up in the fridge, the water will separate from the fat, right?? Beef dripping is the most popular. The very condensed meat juices set to a jelly at the bottom and the dripping in a layer on top. I guess any water will separate, but do you remember her leaving the lid off towards the end for the water to evaporate? I am sure you have heard the saying that you can eat everything from a pig but the “squeel” Just so. We have been considering getting a pig, and figuring out how to use all of the animal is important to us. Cut into small pieces (1 inch). 1. cut fat into small approx 1/4″ pieces–kitchen scissors made it easy 2. put into deep oven-proof pot — I used a metal stew pot/dutch oven 3. Filed Under: All Recipes, Autumn Recipes, Bacon Recipes, Country Cooking, Dairy Free Recipes, Frugal Recipes, Meat & Seafood, Pork Recipes, The Farm, The Kitchen, Oh my word Janie, that takes me back to my childhood all over again. You are left with a liquid (the bit we are after) and crispt pork scratchings. Remove as much meat as you can from the fat and cut it into small chunks so that it will render down more quickly. Oh wow Audrey, I bet that makes a LOT! I cook at least 3# of bacon per day. consumed on a keto dite. Great tutorial! Step 2. Prepare a funnel, cheesecloth and jar to strain the rendered fat… You’ll know the lard is fully rendered when the fat pieces have become small, brown bits in the pan. It should take around three hours to reach completion. Get the exclusive content you crave straight to your inbox when you join our free community. I remember everyone fighting for the dripping from the Sunday roast and spreading it on bread for a teatime treat. LOL Guess what I fancy for my tea. Use your freshly rendered lard in pastries or as a fat for braising vegetables or seasoning meats. I’m not sure exactly why this is, but I feel like I have to use more of it to get the same effect as home rendered lard. Cut your leaf lard or back fat into small pieces. Rendering your own lard from fat is rewarding exploit that has numerous benefits. Eventually those cracklings will sink to the bottom of the stock pot, at that point you may remove your pot from the heat. :-), When did you/your family stop using it, and can you remember what else she used it for? Simply put, this out-of-fashion fat is high in many qualities that I look for in a cooking fat. Despite all their different names – the process is the same no matter what fat you use. Your email address will not be published. Or, you can render your own at home. METHOD: About 1-1/4lb of fat back yields about 1-1/2 cups lard. « Five Winter Greens You Don’t Want to Miss, Beef Pot Roast with Winter Root Vegetables ». I am saving mine for making soap. Cooking bacon over low heat melts the solid fat, rendering it from the meat. I’d call gma, but she’s no longer with us…any ideas?? Humans have been eating butter for more than 10,000 years. Great post and good timing for me! Required fields are marked *. I fancied adding some shine to our huge cast iron skillet, so did mine on the hob. Oh my, I may actually be drooling April! You can render any type of animal fat, with the most widely used being pork, as the resulting lard has a high smoke point, and it imparts tons of amazing flavor. The smaller the pieces, the quicker the lard will melt. Avoid this by cooking your bacon in a cast-iron pan or heavy skillet over very low heat—10 to 12 minutes may seem like a lot, but it's totally normal for a good rendering. Milk, butter & flour? I have no idea! :). Required fields are marked *. And how would you do that? Thanks Jane and the best to you and yours for 2016. When you realise that bacon lard in particular contains less saturated fat, cholesterol & sodium than salted butter, perhaps you won’t be so repulsed. Janie x. Second, you can ladle out the liquid so it can begin cooling, while you leave the pig fat in the crock pot to continue rendering. You can use old yogurt or tupperware containers for storing your lard. Thanks for sharing! And plus I love bacon drippings and am sure this will add a great flavor to the other foods I cook! You can also render on a stovetop, the key is to keep the temperature VERY low. I made bread yesterday adn replaced the tablespoon of olive oil I usually use with the same of lard to see how that would work – it is fine! Janie x, Love this post! And depending on the time of year, we’ll either have pigs in the field or bacon in the freezer. When fat starts to melt, add more pieces until roaster is about half full. superb ! Save some for your roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings. I recommend placing a baking tray underneath them, just in case there’s a spillover! Keep it cold for easier cutting. I personally tried the dry method in a cast iron skillet. Janie x. I never refrigerate my butter dish, who would do such a thing?? I’ve recently been reading up on the unhealthy use of vegetable oils for cooking and how we’ve all been “brainwashed” into thinking this is the healthier option and how we should be moving away from this and going back to the “old-fashioned” (and actually much healthier) way of using lards and drippings for cooking. Two and one-half pounds of fresh leaf lard or hog fat will produce approximately one-half gallon of creamy, nutrient-dense fat. I’m beginning to think if Granny did it, I’ll do it. Wonderful taste. Rendered belly fat can also become lard used for frying, however. As with most (naturally produced) foods, eating it in moderation won’t kill you (can you say the same for the trans fats, found in margarine up until the 1990’s?) After my dad trimmed all the fat from the hams, shoulders and other meat he would cut the fat up and we would render the fat and make lard in a big iron pot over an open fire. Lovely website ,thank you. It is the cleanest fat and is the most suitable if you want to make lard … Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. Hi Evelyn, thanks for popping over, and thanks for hosting such a lovely hop! Hogs, and their nutrient-dense fat, are widely available. I’m Janie, I’m a food writer, photographer and recipe creator. Pour off into tubs, cool, label and pop in the freezer where it will keep indefinitely. The dry method just means you don’t use any water to render the fat. It is a hard fat with a high melting point so great for deep-frying and making pastry. Jenny McGruther is a holistic nutritionist and a Certified Nutritional Therapist (NTP) and food educator. How To Render Lard or Tallow Supplies. However, you can strain it through a coffee filter or muslin if you want it perfectly clear. Let cool slightly. See this post for sourcing quality fat. Learn how to render lard correctly. Step 1. The main being the amazing flavors of foods cooked in lard, and secondly the health benefits. Here’s what I did Let me leave you with this interesting fatty snippet from The Independent site. When I returned to New York I decided it was time to render my own lard. How long will bacon fat be good if kept in the fridge? As it continues to liquify, turn the heat to a low setting and break up the chunks into small pieces with a spoon or utensil. Absolutely Stacy! Do let me know how you get on with soap making :) Such nostalgia! Hi, found you through the Homestead Barn hop. By ladling the lard out in batches, the remaining fat will cook faster and render out even more lard. Thanks so much for stopping by & taking the time to leave a message :) If so, keep reading, as we have all the various types of animal fats,and their best uses, covered…. “Dad rendering lard. :) Carol, Not dumb, and YES! To make your own Bacon lard, all you need to do is heat the fat until the liquid fat separates from the solid. Pour the melted fat into mason jars and allow to cool. More importantly, I feel like the bacon fat is less potent than the lard. After about 45 minutes to one hour, the water will evaporate, the fat will begin to melt and the cracklings – little bits of browned fat – … Jane x, I have a dumb question…can you use rendered bacon fat for pie crust making? If you made a paste you may want to do this every 10 minutes. With a sharp knife, trim any blood spots or remaining meat from the lard. Place 1 cup of fat in roasting pan. Unlike plain lard or other cooking oils, bacon grease contains some of the flavor of the bacon from which it was rendered. Dip liquid from roaster and strain through triple layer of cheesecloth. Since the method is the same for both lard and tallow, pick your fat and let’s get cooking! I love frying with bacon grease! How to Render Bacon Fat. We breed Muscovy ducks for eggs and meat and have laying hens in the garden. Step 2: Gently simmer the fat. So before I tell you how I render lard, let me tell you WHY I render lard. When cold, the two were mixed roughly together with a fork, giving dripping with “mucky” (or brown bits”) in it. The melted fat will be golden-brown in color, but, when cooled, will appear a creamy white. Fantastic! Make sure you use the leaf fat as well as the fatback on the pig to create the most lard. You’ll probably find that using the oven is easier and creates a cleaner lard than the frying pan. Living the real-food dream on a Cornish smallholding. Set the temperature on low and let the fat start to melt, stirring it regularly. Make sure your fat … No change to taste or texture of the loaf, and yet it is a free oil! Hi GGC! The hotter it is when you do this step, the faster it will drain. They are lovely creatures, we’ll be getting more in the spring :). It has been 2 hours and my cracklings have not gone to the bottom of the pot. Heat the oven to 250 degrees. We raised mangalica pigs for two years when we first moved onto our little farm in Hungary and I just loved taking care of them, loved eating them too :) Happy bacon eating! Is white gravy the same as white sauce in the UK do you s’pose? Yay bacon. Dec. 1940.” It seems that lard was the fat of choice for both my grandparents growing up, and when I looked through some old family recipes, I saw that indeed many of them called for that fat. I’m wondering how long to wait. Janie x. I’m rendering 2 lbs of bacon in the hopes of collecting enough to use in a recipe. You can render lard in a heavy pot (Dutch oven is perfect) in the oven between 225-250 degrees F, on the stove top over low heat (start at “2” and once it begins melting turn it down to “1”) or in a crock pot on … This website earns income from ads, affiliates, and sponsorships. You can do that in the oven or on the hob, whichever is easier for you. Add the chopped fat and the filtered water to a heavy bottomed stock pot and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Pork dripping on a slice of fresh bread with a sprinkling of salt was a regular meal for me and my brothers back in the 1950’s, in Yorkshire. I also used a measuring cut and funnel to pour the grease into the jars without too much mishap. From tasty wholesome meals to simple camping recipes, I guarantee a real foodie adventure! The reward of a beautiful, creamy white jar full of freshly rendered, pastured lard is worth the minimal effort. (The water will prevent the fat from burning before the pork fat starts to melt. Line a fine mesh sieve with a 100% cotton cheesecloth and strain the melted fat, reserving the cracklings for another use (they’re quite nice salted and eaten as a snack or served in place of breadcrumbs in a gratin). All you need is a bowl and a paper towel next time you make bacon. If you keep pigs, you’ll tend to work with huge batches of fat. Mama use to keep a metal container with a lid on her stove top all the time. Keep the mess confined by using a large cutting board of metal sheet for your draining of the large from the pieces. Wash and chill fat. I’m intrigued :) Butter: Mainly saturated fat, which should be refrigerated and well wrapped to protect it from light and absorbing strong smells. Rendering lard is a lost art – a worthwhile technique forgotten in a fat-phobic, Lean Cuisine-centered culture. A day later I was ready to render-cook- the fat down. So I’m so glad I found your post because I’ve been wanting to do this but wasn’t quite sure how to begin! To me, this makes home-rendered lard much more efficient and flexible. In 30 minutes you will begin to see the fat melting, like a giant, greasy iceberg. It’ll never spoil in there! You don’t want it to burn or splatter you too much, so turn the heat down if it’s getting fierce. Join our free community for real food recipes, fermentation tips, and guidance on herbal remedies delivered to your inbox. Janie x. Leaf lard is fat located around the pig's kidneys. She has traveled the world teaching workshops and lecturing on food activism, sustainable food systems, whole foods, fermentation and culinary traditions. I use it for white gravy and I guess I am telling my age because I still use cast iron skillets seasoned with bacon fat! Like many wholesome, nourishing fats, lard seems to have been swept aside for a time, but it’s quickly earning a much-deserved renaissance – ensuring that taking the time to learn how to render lard is worth your effort both in terms of its redeeming nutritional value as well as in celebration of the wealth and variety of your local foodshed. After about 45 minutes to one hour, the water will evaporate, the fat will begin to melt and the cracklings – little bits of browned fat – will begin to float to the surface of the pot. Dripping: This is the fat that drips from meat while it cooks. Add 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of a crock pot and add the cut up pork fat. The bacon has to be cooked “real slow.” Continue to gently stir the melted fat periodically, taking care not to let it splatter. I’ll have a think about other uses for it too, and may have to turn it into another post! You can do that in the oven or on the hob, whichever is easier for you. Have you ever wondered how to render bacon fat to create your own natural dripping? Or they can be to the hens, cat or dog as a treat and only in small quantities. but will however add an amazing flavour to so much of your cooking. The caption? Jenny and her work have been featured in NPR, Guardian, New York Times, and Washington Post among other publications. Stir the diced fat and let render over the lowest setting for about 2-3 hours. Learn how your comment data is processed. Odd that lard, given its fatty acid profile and vitamin content, earned such a bad rap over the last few decades. Lovely meeting you Liz and I’m following you on Bloglovin’ now :) Tallow: A general term for fat rendered from cows or sheep, best known as an ingredient for candles and soap. As soon as the "cracklings" start to turn a greyish brown and all the fat is melted, strain it through a fine mesh strainer You DO NOT … These fats were used in cooking, medicine, candle & soap making, seasoning cast iron pans and even shining shoes! When i was little, even in cities we raised our own pork , chickens and rabbits. They will shrink to the size of rough-cut bacon bits. Stir the fat and oil about every 20-30 minutes to prevent any sticking, scorching, or burning. Place 1/4 cup water and the ground fat in a slow cooker and set on low. Turn onto medium low heat Gently warm your fat, giving it a stir. Jane x, […] How To Render Bacon Fat from The Hedge Combers. When it is swimming in oil and the scratchings look crispy and lightly browned, pour the oil off into a jam jar or pot. It's so versatile, and a little goes a long way, so it's our tactic for bringing a smoky presence to a dish without adding a lot of fat. The white bit in a lasagne? I’m glad to see this reminder and I’m going to give it a whirl! Forget all the latest health advice & labels, just trust that if it was good enough for our ancestors, it’s good enough for me :) […], […] it is excellent for cooking at high temperatures with), but you could use olive, vegetable or even homemade lard if you use […], Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Add the chopped fat and the filtered water to a heavy bottomed stock pot and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. 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