When I started farming, I learned to cook.
I was veggie farmer at White Oak Pastures in GA, so I learned to cook Veggies.
When I married my husband, I learned animal husbandry and how to cook all things animal.
This was steep learning curve for me, but after some epic fails, I served both burnt and raw chickens.
I eventually got the hang of it.
This skill, rendering lard, has been the most revolutionary in my personal cooking journey.
As a farmer and care taker of these animals, I value nose to tail cooking. I don’t want any of that precious life, or my hard work wasted. I so appreciate the gift of food.
I encourage you when possible to purchase whole animals, so that you too can share in the joy of wasting nothing.
Lard has forever changed the way I cook, eat and farm. I hope you love it as much as I do!
NOT ALL FAT IS CREATED EQUAL!!!
Not every pig, is loved dearly, raised from birth with love, and given access tot he highest quality grains and fresh grass. OURS ARE PERIOD.
Toxins accumulate in the fatty tissues of humans and animals..
When you render and consume fat, make sure it is from the highest quality animals.
How to Dry Render Pasture Raised Lard
Ingredients
- Crockpot or Instant pot with a slower cooker setting.
- Meat Sieve
- Metal Ladle
- Glass containers to store your lard
- 1 Pack of lard, leaf/kidney or back fat. 3-5#.
- Sharp Chefs Knife
Instructions
- Purchase pre-ground Pasture Raised Organically fed pork fat.
- Allow it to thaw over night in your fridge on a shallow baking pan, or in a bowl.
- Cut open bag and empty the fat into your crock pot, using a spoon or ladder, try to mash the fat into an even layer on the bottom.
- Turn crockpot to low setting.
- Keep an eye on the fat as it melts, stirring occasionally to break up clumps.
- You are looking for the fat to turn a slight amber color, like a corona beer (light equals neutral flavor), not deep amber like a lager(darker means more savory flavor because meaty bits have started to cook in the fat, the fat is still good but will have a savory flavor profile.)
- Once the majority of the fat has melted (rendered), you can start pouring it through a metal sieve into your glass storage vessels. I like to use stackable pyrex glass squares with lids, they are easy to clean. * cooking time will vary based on your slow cooker and how much fat you put in typically 1.5-3 hours for 2-5# of fat.
- I allow the Lard to cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge, when solid it will be pure white.
- Lard will keep in the fridge for months, as long as you use clean utensils every time. No double dipping, food particles in the lard will hasten its shelf life.