What is Lard?
Pork lard makes every recipe amazing! As more and more of us are going back to our roots and getting back to basics, we have found many folks looking for pork lard. Not the hydrogenated, preservative loaded junk, but pure farm fresh pork lard with absolutely nothing added. Our lard is already rendered and ready to use! Lard is made of 100% pork fat. It's separated from the fatty parts of a pig through a process called rendering. It is all-natural, unprocessed and contains a similar fat profile to olive oil.
Healthier Than Butter and Many Butter Substitutes
Lard has a better nutrition profile than many butter alternatives on the market. Unlike many processed oils, like soybean and cottonseed oils, lard is not hydrogenated and thus contains no trans fat. Many butter substitutes are highly processed and therefore lack the nutritional value of lard. Lard, on the other hand, has lower saturated fat than butter, but much more monounsaturated fat, almost double that of butter, and five times as much as coconut oil. Add those stats to the fact that lard is a good source of vitamin D, and you've got fat that's worth trying.
Is Lard Bad For You?
When used sparingly, lard is not particularly worse for you than other cooking fats. In fact, cooking with lard has many benefits, and more chefs are choosing lard over other traditional cooking oils or shortenings.
Pure lard has a neutral taste and contains no pork flavor
Lard contains no trans fats, which makes it a healthier option than hydrogenated fats
Lard has less saturated fat and cholesterol than butter
Lard contains healthy monounsaturated fats, just like olive oil
It has a high smoke point, making it ideal for frying foods
Higher Smoke Point
Cooking dairy-free with lard could send your meat and veggies to the next level. Lard has a higher smoke point than butter and other butter substitutes, which makes it perfect for deep frying and sautéing At 375 F, lard creates the benefits of fried, such as flakier and crispier foods and desserts in a shorter time, without burning.
Lard vs Butter
Lard and butter are both used in baked goods, but there are some properties of lard that make it a favorite of many bakers. The melting point of lard is lower than butter, which means that more air and steam are released during bake times. This results in greater leavening and a flakier texture in baked goods. Lard also has larger fat crystals that leave open spaces as they melt, creating more layers than you would achieve with butter. For biscuits and pie crusts, lard, or a combination of lard and butter produce the ideal texture.
We offer our farm fresh lard in 4 lb tubs. Each tub of lard will keep for about 12 months in the freezer, 8-10 months in the fridge and several weeks at room temperature.