We recently bought a half a hog and processing included a big tub of lard. Should I freeze it? Is it the right kind to use in pie crust?

Tamara Dahling
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5 Comments

PieceOfLayerCake May 7, 2017
Pie crust is so simple and cheap, try a small recipe and just bake it straight. Pie crust is a good snack! I love lard crusts for savory pies. If anything, you could do something empanada/hand pie with them, which I think works well with pastry that's slightly less flaky (if that's how it ends up). You could also try savory scones or biscuits. Drop biscuits don't need fat to be cut in cold, so if the lard is soft, that might be a good use.
 
Last1towed May 7, 2017
If it already looks like crisco then it's been rendered. You could still use it for pastry. But maybe just do a trial run first to see if you like it. I prefer pastry made with half lard, half butter (or even all butter). My lard pastry doesn't brown the same, and it's much softer to work with. Just different. (i like to make tablespoon scoops with a very small ice cream scooper, then freeze them in a zip lock. Makes it easy to get out the right amount for a recipe. And thwy thaw/soften very quickly.)
 
mainecook61 May 7, 2017
We too put a hog in the freezer. I render only the caul fat, chopping it up and letting it render slowly, usually in winter on the back of the woodstove. You strain out the cracklings at the end. I pour it into a square metal pan and let it harden. When it it cold, I cut it into squares and freeze it. Maybe some of the fat is fatback? It looks more firm and solid than the lacier caul fat and is used for salt pork (which you can freeze also once it is brined). My older Maine neighbors have told me of "salt pork gravy," for which the fat is fried until crispy and then turned into a cream style gravy to ladle over potatoes, biscuits, etc. That was from the days when thrifty farm people used every part of the animal and vegetable oil was uncommon. There is a version of it in The Grapes of Wrath----the poor Joads never wasted animal fat either.
 
Last1towed May 7, 2017
We raise hogs and each year we render our lard. Did you receive the unprocessed fat (which you would render into lard)? If so, you can look up rendering videos online. It can be quite a process but rewarding. There are different types of fat, and while not all are the pristine caul fat from around the kidneys (prized for pastry), it's still possible to render and use all the fat for pies. Just use the first render for that (later renders will taste a little stronger and be not as white). I recommend pouring the hot fat into pint jars (easier for storage and usage than quarts or other large containers). I keep our jars in the freezer and bring out one at a time to the fridge. If the fat was wrapped well by your butcher you have some time before you would need to render. But if it's exposed to air, you will want to render sooner as exposed fat takes on freezer flavors quickly.
 
Tamara D. May 7, 2017
It must be processed. It looks like Crisco.
 
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