We've just noticed that the Lard we've been buying to use in pastry (Morrell Snow Cap Lard) is actually labelled lard 'with hydrogenated lard'. I was just wondering if any of you guys had any experience of finding a lard (pig fat) that does not contain hydrogenated product.
LARD
- Thread starter Whitewolf
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The only place where I've ever encountered lard was European wine cellars. There they give you a piece of bread with a little goose lard on it to help you clear your palate between sampling various kinds of wine.
Quite frankly, I wouldn't touch it for obvious reasons. It's good for making soap, though!
Quite frankly, I wouldn't touch it for obvious reasons. It's good for making soap, though!
Try a small butcher or meat shop. A Mexican market should have it too, "manteca" in Spanish.
I never use soap made with sodium tallowate anymore.
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Real men wash up with borax.
I use broken glass.
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You win.
Manteca from a good shop is usually a high quality non-hydrogenated lard. However, you might not want to use it for applications like pastry, pie dough, or fried chicken, due to the slight toasty pork flavor it gets from the rendering process. The fresh Mexican version would of course be perfect for tamales or refried beans.
If you can't find what you want, buy some good leaf lard and render it yourself. If you can't find it locally, you should be able to get it shipped to you from here:
http://www.iowa-natural-meats.com/
If you try the manteca and find porky overtones to your pastry, try a mixture of half butter and half manteca, which you can also adjust to taste.
If you can't find what you want, buy some good leaf lard and render it yourself. If you can't find it locally, you should be able to get it shipped to you from here:
http://www.iowa-natural-meats.com/
If you try the manteca and find porky overtones to your pastry, try a mixture of half butter and half manteca, which you can also adjust to taste.
Yeah, pie crust made from lard is the absolute best. Buy some of that leaf lard and render it yourself. It's simple to do, and you won't find anything better in a store. Last time I checked it was only a buck twenty five per pound. You can't complain about that.
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The only fat I use when making pie crusts and shortbread is butter.
Only ever used lard to make chicken and andouille (well chorizo) sausage.
Making with any other fat alters the taste badly. I've made it three times in 10 years, so I don't think the lard is gonna kill me.
If we cook a duckling, we keep the duck fat - makes great roast potatoes.
Pies all floury stuff gets unsalted, cultured butter.
Making with any other fat alters the taste badly. I've made it three times in 10 years, so I don't think the lard is gonna kill me.
If we cook a duckling, we keep the duck fat - makes great roast potatoes.
Pies all floury stuff gets unsalted, cultured butter.
From what I understand the hydrogenation helps keep the lard firm and shelf stable. I would imagine most national brands would have this ingredient.
Regular non-hydrogenated lard would have to be homemade or procured from the local butcher.
Regular non-hydrogenated lard would have to be homemade or procured from the local butcher.
Why anybody would buy/use lard is beyond me. My wife says we have never used it and anyway who wants that junk in their body??
You need to learn a little more about what you eat. Lard and butter are both animal fats. Lard melts at a higher temperature and will produce much flakier
pastries and pie crusts than butter. Read this:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2006/11/tubolard_virgin.html
pastries and pie crusts than butter. Read this:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2006/11/tubolard_virgin.html
No butter either. 90%+ of what we eat is organic. I know nobody who eats better than my family, in fact nobody comes close.
90%+ real organic. Everthing meat, poultry, vegs, milk shampoo, fruit well you name it. I know as I buy all the familys food. I don't cook so it's my job. Enjoy it too but I do cover some mileage getting it. I buy the best bugger the price.
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