What is lard? Delicious homemade lard: cooking recipes

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Do you know what lard is? Surely there are no such people who have never tried the mentioned product.

What is the ingredient in question, what properties does it have and how to make it at home, we will tell in this article.

General information

What is lard? This is animal fat that is deposited under the skin, namely in the abdominal cavity, near the kidneys. Functionally, this part of the carcass is considered as a consistent nutrient supply. It consists mainly of triglycerides, and also contains a huge amount of fatty acid residues (saturated).

Features of the name and application

What is lard and can it be eaten? Culinary specialists claim that such a product is very often used in their practical activities.

Animal fat is eaten fresh, smoked, s alted, boiled, fried and stewed. In some cases, this already cooked product (for example, s alted or s alted-smoked) is called the foreign word "fat". However, in everyday life, most often it is called simply - s alted or smoked lard.

A product of animal origin with numerous and large meat veins can be called undercut, and in a s alted form- brisket or bacon.

Small pieces of fried lard often have cracklings.

The product in question after the furnace is called lard and is used as cooking oil. It should also be noted that in European countries such lard is used to lubricate bread intended for a sandwich. In addition, rendered animal fat can be used for technical purposes. They lubricate various machine parts and so on. Often this type of processed product is used to make soap.

Lamb tail fat is very often used to prepare various traditional dishes of Central Asia.

As for goat and beef fat, they are not eaten separately. This is due to their infusibility.

In America, waste beef tallow is very often processed into fuel.

Badger and bear fat are used as medicines, and mink oil is used to make cosmetics.

Product calories

Now you know what bacon is. It should be noted that this product is very high in calories. 100 grams of it contains approximately 750 kcal. At the same time, it completely lacks carbohydrates.

Harm and benefit of the product

The benefits and harms of fat are discussed by many experts. And most often they talk about pork fat.

Pork fat, the composition of which will be considered right now, accumulates and retains many different biologically active substances, fat-soluble vitamins andantioxidants. It is these components that determine its useful properties.

The product in question contains vitamins E, A, F and D, as well as trace elements (including selenium) and fatty acids (unsaturated and saturated). The most valuable acid of this fat is arachidonic. It has a wide range of useful activities. This component improves the composition of the blood, removing cholesterol from it, as well as the functioning of the brain and heart. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the condition of the kidneys. It should also be noted that the beneficial properties of lard are greatly enhanced when used together with garlic.

Pork fat, the composition of which everyone should know, is a source of essential valuable fatty acids (palmitic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, stearic). Lecithin, which is contained in this product, has a beneficial effect on cell membranes and blood vessels, strengthens them, and also makes them more elastic.

As for the harm of fat, it lies in its high calorie content. Therefore, in order to obtain all the useful properties of the product, it is very important to use it correctly. It is advisable to give your preference to pickled or s alted lard. But it is better to refuse a smoked, fried or baked product. Such snacks will not bring benefits.

Choice of animal fat

To make delicious homemade lard, the recipes with photos of which are presented in this article, you must choose it correctly.

When purchasing this product, pay special attention to the followingfeatures:

• choose this ingredient better with skin;
• product must be elastic, uniform and dense;
• very tasty fat usually in female animals;
• Product should be snow white or slightly pinkish when cut.

It should also be noted that meat-veined lard is best boiled or smoked.

Delicious homemade lard: cooking recipe

To prepare such a product, we need:

• raw lard with skin - about 1 kg;
• fresh garlic cloves - about 10 pieces;
• laurel leaves - 4 pcs.;
• table s alt - about 4 large spoons;
• black peppercorns - 3 dessert spoons;
• ground paprika - 2 large spoons;
• cumin - 1 dessert spoon;
• ground chili pepper - 5 g.

Cooking process

There is nothing difficult in preparing delicious homemade lard. A piece of pork fat with a skin must be washed, and then dried with paper towels and divided into two layers. Next, they should be placed on the board with the skin down and make several cuts 2-3 mm deep.

After peeling the garlic cloves, they are very finely chopped. Laying them on the surface of the fat, the product is actively pressed directly into the cuts. Also, crushed bay leaves and black peppercorns are mixed in a hotel dish. In addition, s alt and a little cumin are added to them. After mixing the ingredients, they are abundantly sprinkled with all the fat.

At the very end, pork fat is flavored with hot pepper and groundpaprika.

Having carried out the described actions, the pieces of bacon are carefully laid out on the foil and make sure that the seasoning does not wake up. Wrap the product tightly and put it in the refrigerator for two weeks.

As soon as the fat is s alted, it is cleaned of seasonings, chopped and served to the table along with bread. If this product is left after a meal, then it is stored in the freezer.

S alt lard in brine

The recipe for the most delicious lard in brine should be known to every housewife. Indeed, almost no feast can do without such an unusual snack.

To make the product in question yourself, you need to prepare:

• pork fat with layers of meat - at your discretion (about 1 kg);
• onion peel - from 7-10 heads;
• black peppercorns - about 4-6 pieces;
• bay leaves - about 3-4 pieces;
• garlic cloves - about 5-6 pieces;
• drinking water - 1 l;
• table s alt - about 1 cup.

Cooking method

How should lard be s alted in brine? To do this, s alt is poured into a saucepan, water is added, and then brought to a boil. Putting onion peel in a bowl, it is boiled over low heat for about five minutes. Next, previously prepared pork fat with layers of meat is placed in the resulting brine. In this case, the liquid should completely cover the fat.

After reducing the heat, the ingredient in question should be boiled for about 10 minutes. After the lapse of time, the pan is removed from the fire, covered with a lid.and leave it like this for 1/4 hour.

After 15 minutes, a piece of pork fat is removed and dried with paper towels. At the same time, garlic is peeled, and then crushed together with parsley. Also crushed black peppercorns.

After the described actions, all the prepared spices are rubbed into the fat, in which several shallow cuts are made beforehand. Tightly wrapping pork fat with cooking foil, it is removed in the freezer. It is allowed to use such a product only after it has completely frozen.

The considered method of s alting pork fat is called hot s alting. However, you can also make such a product at home through cold s alting. To do this, prepare a similar brine, which is pre-cooled to a temperature of 2-4 degrees. A piece of lard is placed in it and pressed down with oppression. Having closed the brine with fat with a lid, it is kept in this form for several hours. Further actions are similar.