Lard - where can I find it ?? (restaurant, coffee, cake)

[no kudzu]

Originally Posted by Chimuelojones

My sis ter made a pumpking pie for thanksgiving and the crust tasted too lard-y. I'm making my corn dodgers with lard and the come out great.

Corn Dodgers

2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbl baking powder
2 cups warm water
4 tbl lard- melted with 1 cup water

combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
heat 1 cup water and lard until the lard mealts ...reserve
heat second cup of water
add water/lard mix to the dry ingredients man begin to mix
add enough of remaining water [if needed]to make mix spoonable. do not make a batter

spoon golf ball size globs onto a greased cookie sheet or greased muffin tin
bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes...check for browing add baking time for desired browness.

these dodgers will not rise like a corn muffin and will be grainy.

I like mine toasty arround the edges.

would bacon grease work in place of lard?

[tarragon]

But I want to make whoopie pies not pie crust! Do you think the lard will be an okay substitute for the veg. shortening? I have to use it in the shells and in the filling unless I can find a different type of filling that still tastes real good and not too confectioner sugar tasting! I might be able to get away with putting it in the shells. I know bacon grease will not be suitable.

[Padgett2]

Lard comes from very fat pigs. They just are not fed to be that way anymore. It's a waste of feed. Therefore, the lard you see now in the stores comes from many many pigs in the slaughter houses.

The days for the fat hog for bacon is long gone! The old-fashioned, fat back or streak-o-lean for flavoring is expensive now. People are not even taught how to cook with it. People come to my section of the USA wanting "real" southern cooking, won't be able to find it, because it just isn't done anymore.

[NicoleJ]

Has anyone ever cooked with lard? I didn't know it has less saturated fat than butter and it's higher than monounsaturated fats, it's the second highest source of vitamin D in food, and it's got no trans fats. I might try it. My mom used to use it. Why do you not use it now? I'm finding out that a lot of stuff I thought was bad, isn't. Like butter and whole milk. As long as it's in moderation of course.

Anyway, this article made me think of it.
10 Reasons You Should Be Cooking With Lard

[cb at sea]

Lard makes the best piecrusts and pastries!

[AngID]

I render my own lard every year when we get our pig. Some things just *must* be cooked with lard or bacon grease! As cb said, pie crust, pastries, fried taters, fried corn bread, fried chicken, fried eggs, I'm sure there are plenty I can't think of right now.

[elston]

Supermarket lard is hydrogenated fat.....not good for you! That's why its on the shelf without refrigeration. I think (????) in the old days it was rendered but not hydrogenated.

[NicoleJ]

Thank you. Didn't know that. I wonder if the local butcher shop carries it.

[Cliffie]

The meat dept at any store with a butcher's counter generally carries lard -- some hydrogenated, usually if it's mostly pig fat -- some not. (Beef fat keeps the best, and that's called tallow, not lard.) Most animals fats keep for a long time on the shelf, which is why foods like duck confit or jellied eel keep without refrigeration. For those interested in the health benefits of lard -- yes, there are some -- may I suggest Politically Incorrect Nutrition by Michael Barbee.

Lard is also terrific for soapmaking, of course.

[SXMGirl]

Alton Brown uses leaf lard in his biscuit recipes but I have no idea what that is.