Thursday, October 4, 2012

Rendering Lard


After sharing my thoughts about lard, many have wondered how is it rendered.  While it is not difficult, it is a long process.  Here is how I do it:

1)  Cut the lard into small chunks (or better yet, grind it in a meat grinder).  The smaller the pieces, the better.


 2)  Heat the oven to 250 degrees.  Put the lard into a baking dish.  Place in the oven (uncovered).  As it heats up, the fat will begin to melt.  The goal is to extract as much of the liquid from the chunks of lard as possible.

The dish on the left has been in the oven for around 5 minutes.  The dish on the right is just going in.

3)  I have found this process takes me 5-6 hours.  Don't rush it!  Think low (temperature) and slow!  Being short on time during the day, I have even rendered lard overnight.  I get up every hour or so to check on it and stir it.  When you are left with crispy, brown bits in your liquid fat, strain it through several layers of cheesecloth.







 Ready for the freezer!

2 comments:

  1. Your blog is so helpful and informative. I really appreciate the information since much of it seems to be lost in general society. Thank you for taking the time out of your obviously busy day to guide me in my similar lifestyle.

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    1. Are you the teacher who just was awarded the Massachusetts Teacher In The Classroom of the Year? If it is you, you certainly deserve it. You should post a link to your award on their page.

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