Lard

Learn how to make lard. A smooth, creamy, and neutral fat perfect for baking, grilling, frying, and more. This versatile fat is solid at room temperature and liquid when warm. Plus, it is shelf stable.

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Keyword lard

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 15

Servings lb

Author Lisa Bass

Ingredients

Pork Fat

Instructions

With a sharp knife, cut pork fat into small pieces, about 1-2 inch portions.
Place into a cast iron dutch oven or heavy pot and place over low heat with a lid for a few hours, about 1-3 hours. It can take a long time.
Occasionally stir the fat pieces so nothing is sticking to the bottom.
You will know when it is done when all the fat has separated from the meat and the crackling will settle at the bottom.
After all the fat has rendered, while it is still hot, carefully pour the liquid fat through a fine mesh strainer (a coffee filter or paper towel also works) into a bowl or container. This filters out any bits.
Pour into glass jars and allow to cool at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Now it is ready to use. Keep it in the fridge or freezer for up to a year, or leave it at room temperature for 4-6 months.

Notes

To make it easier to cut, stick the fat in the freezer for about an hour before you are planning to make this recipe.
You don't want to cook it really fast. Like when you cook bacon and it cooks at a high heat, you are technically rendering fat, but since you are cooking it at such a high heat it definitely has its own strong flavor. If you want a more mild flavor that you can use for say biscuits or homemade pie crusts, you want to cook it low and slow.
I prefer to cool the lard at room temperature because the steam being released while cooling in the fridge can get trapped on the lid and go back into the lard. This could contribute to mold growth.