2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14
The fashion for everything natural that has recently flared up dictates its own rules. And often, under its influence, we have to not only invent new things, but also turn to the origins. Take, for example, melted lard - an indispensable product in the household, which was known to our ancestors many centuries ago.
Today, briquetted lard can be bought at any supermarket. And you can prepare it yourself - you can personally verify the quality of raw materials, and control compliance with the technology from and to, and even save money. And in order for the result to reward the efforts, we first study the materiel. So, let's look at all the intricacies: what is the name of melted lard, how is it prepared and what is it eaten with? And besides, let's find out how it can be used on the farm.
What is melted lard
Melted fat is widely used in the household. It is very easy to prepare it yourself, besides, it keeps well for quite a long time. When heated, pork fat completely changes its structure, passing from a solid forminto liquid. Later, as it cools, it thickens again. Moreover, this process does not even need too low temperatures - room temperature is enough.
Selection of raw materials and preparation for heating
The pork carcass has several large fatty layers. In structure, they are softer than fat, easier to cut into pieces and even crumble with your hands. Most of these layers are located in the abdomen and chest of the animal, under the skin and inside the cavities. When cutting, they are simply cut off in layers. Suitable for harvesting and ordinary fat, especially thin and soft, from the abdomen. It is desirable that it does not contain meat layers.
Another part of the carcass suitable for heating is the mesentery - a fatty network that supports the internal organs of the animal. It is suitable not only for kindling, but also for preparing various dishes. It is stuffed with liver, blood, minced meat or other stuffing, after which it is baked in the oven. But if for some reason this is impossible (for example, the mesh is damaged during cutting), then a wonderful lard can be made from it. The recipe for melted fat from mesentery and fat layers is almost identical.
When buying raw materials for homemade lard, we follow the same safety measures that are true for choosing any meat and offal: he althy appearance, pleasant smell, visual integrity. It is very good if there is a proven supplier that you trust.
Method of making lard
To prepare homemade melted pork fat, thoroughly wash the layers, let them dry a little, if possible, remove excess water with papertowels.
Next, be patient and cut everything into small pieces. It is convenient to do this with a very sharp wide knife. The smaller the cubes or sticks, the faster the fat will melt out of them.
Ghee lard is convenient to cook in a wide cast-iron frying pan. We warm it up well and load our workpiece. The heating process is controlled without distraction to prevent burning and spattering of fat. Stir with a wooden spatula, evenly distributing the pieces in the pan so that they are heated evenly.
Boiling transparent fat is becoming more and more, and the pieces have become very dark and reduced in volume? Great, that means everything is going as it should. Let's move on to the next step.
Purely washed and dried glass jars set on the table. We attach gauze folded in 3-4 layers to the neck of the dish. This can be done with a rubber band. Pour hot homemade lard with a ladle or a large spoon. The cloth will filter out the unmelted pieces, preventing them from getting into the jar. Let cool at room temperature, covered with a clean cloth. When it cools down, cover with ordinary nylon lids. And if necessary, jars with hot lard can be immediately rolled up with metal lids.
Home storage
Jared melted lard is perfectly stored in the refrigerator or in the cellar. Moreover, it is itself a preservative. For example, many housewives know how to harvest pork liver when boiled until tender.the insides are twisted in a meat grinder or finely chopped, put in clean jars, poured with hot lard and rolled up. You can store such blanks for several months.
Glared lard can also be frozen in the freezer. Of course, if space permits. There is no special need for this, it is perfectly stored even at positive temperatures.
Use in cooking various dishes
There are many ways to use lard in cooking. The most common of these is to replace vegetable or butter with pork fat when frying. On melted lard, roasts are prepared for first courses, cabbage rolls, meatballs, and meatballs are fried on it.
Often lard is part of baking. Replacing part of the butter with melted pork fat allows you to make the dough smooth and soft. This dough is well molded and keeps its shape. Homemade lard can also be used to make fish and liver pâtés. The cooking recipe is almost the same as the classic one (with butter). Unless it wins significantly at cost.
Tourists also respect this product very much. Melt lard at home, add chopped greens, s alt, spices to hot fat, squeeze a few cloves of garlic. Take such a blank with you on a hike, and it will become a real lifesaver! It is worth adding a couple of spoons to the cauldron with porridge - and the magical aroma will spread throughout the forest. And not only in porridge. Fragrant homemade lard will brighten up any camping recipe, whetherthen kulesh, fish soup or regular soup with instant vermicelli.
Pig fat outside the kitchen
And who said that lard can only be used in the kitchen? It has many more uses.
Everyone who was in the army knows that you can lubricate shoes with such fat. The skin wears out faster, does not allow moisture to pass through, gleams dully. Lard is also widely used in folk medicine and home cosmetology as the basis for ointments, rubbing and creams. It is also suitable for lubricating creaking door hinges.
In general, try making homemade lard yourself, and this recipe will definitely take its rightful place in your culinary piggy bank.
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