Lard

Lardis asemi-solidwhitefatproduct obtained byrenderingthefatty tissueof apig.It is distinguished fromtallow, a  similar product derived from fat ofcattleorsheep.
Lard can be rendered by steaming, boiling, or dry heat. The culinary qualities of lard vary somewhat depending on the origin and processing method; if properly rendered, it may be nearly odorless and tasteless.It has a highsaturated fatty acidcontent and notrans fat. At retail, refined lard is usually sold as paper-wrapped blocks.
Many cuisines use lard as acookingfat orshortening, or as aspreadin the same ways asbutter. It is an ingredient in varioussavourydishes such assausages,pâtés, andfillings. As a replacement for butter, it provides flakiness topastry. In western cuisine, it has ceded its popularity tovegetable oils, but many cooks and bakers still favor it over other fats for certain uses.
Lard has always been an important cooking and baking staple in cultures whereporkis an important dietary item, with pig fat often being as valuable a product as pork.
During the 19th century, lard was used in a similar way tobutterin North America and many European nations.Lard remained about as popular as butter in the early 20th century and was widely used as a substitute for butter duringWorld War II. As a readily availableby-productof modern pork production, lard had been cheaper than mostvegetable oils, and it was common in many people's diet until theIndustrial Revolutionmade vegetable oils more common and more affordable.Vegetable shorteningswere developed in the early 1900s, which made it possible to use vegetable-based fats in baking and in other uses where solid fats were called for.Upton Sinclair's novelThe Jungle, though fictional, portrayed men falling into rendering vats and being sold as lard, which generated negative publicity.
By the late 20th century lard began to be considered less healthy than vegetable oils (such asoliveandsunfloweroil) because of its high content ofsaturated fatty acidsandcholesterol. However, despite its reputation, lard has less saturated fat, moreunsaturated fatand less cholesterol than an equal amount of butter by weight.Unhydrogenatedlard contains no transfats. It has also been regarded as a "poverty food".
In the 1990s and early 2000s, however, chefs and bakers rediscovered lard's unique culinary values, leading to a partial rehabilitation of this fat among "foodies". Negative publicity about the transfat content of thepartially hydrogenated vegetable oilsin vegetable shortening has partially driven this trend. Chef and food writerRick Baylessis a prominent proponent of the virtues of lard for certain types of cooking.
It is also again becoming popular in theUnited Kingdomamong aficionados of traditional British cuisine. This led to a "lard crisis" in late 2004.
Lard is produced mainly inChina, followed byGermany,Brazil,United States, andRussia.
Lard can be obtained from any part of the pig that has a high concentration offatty tissue. The highest grade of lard, known as leaf lard, is obtained from the "flare"visceral fatdeposit surrounding thekidneysand inside theloin. Leaf lard has little pork flavor, making it ideal for use in baked goods, where it is valued for its ability to produce flaky, moist pie crusts. The next-highest grade is obtained fromfatback, the hardsubcutaneous fatbetween the pig's back skin and muscle. The lowest grade (for purposes of rendering into lard) is obtained from the softcaul fatsurrounding digestive organs, such assmall intestines, though caul fat is often used directly as a wrapping for roasting lean meats or in the manufacture ofpâtés.
Lard may berenderedby two processes: wet or dry. In wet rendering, pig fat is boiled in water or steamed at a high temperature and the lard, which is insoluble in water, is skimmed from the surface of the mixture or separated in an industrialcentrifuge. In dry rendering, the fat is exposed to high heat in a pan or oven without water (a process similar to frying bacon). The two processes yield somewhat differing products. Wet-rendered lard has a more neutral flavor, a lighter color, and a highsmoke point. Dry-rendered lard is somewhat browner and has a caramelized flavor and has a lower smoke point.
Industrially-produced lard, including much of the lard sold in supermarkets, is rendered from a mixture of high and low quality fat from throughout the pig.Lard is oftenhydrogenatedto improve its stability at room temperature. Hydrogenated lard sold to consumers typically contains fewer than 0.5 g oftransfatsper 13 g serving.Lard is also often treated with bleaching and deodorizing agents,emulsifiers, andantioxidantssuch asBHT.These treatments make it more consistent and prevent spoilage. (Untreated lard must be refrigerated or frozen to preventrancidity.)
Consumers wanting a higher-quality source of lard typically seek outartisanalproducers, or render it themselves from leaf lard or fatback.
A by-product of dry-rendering lard isdeep-friedmeat, skin and membrane tissue known ascracklings.
Lard consists mainly of fats, which in the context of chemistry are known astriglycerides. Triglycerides contain threefatty acids, varying from one triglyceride to another. In general lard is similar totallowin its composition. About 20% of lard is theachiraltriglyceride withpalmitic acidon carbon 2 andoleic acidon carbons 1 and 3.Pigs that have been fed different diets will have lard with a significantly different fatty acid content andiodine value.  Peanut-fed hogs or the acorn-fed pigs raised forJamón ibéricotherefore produce a somewhat different kind of lard compared to pigs raised in North American farms that are fed corn.
Lard is one of the few edible oils with a relatively high smoke point, attributable to its high saturated fatty acids content. Pure lard is especially useful for cooking since it produces little smoke when heated and has a distinct flavor when combined with other foods. Manychefsandbakersprize lard over other types of shortening because of its flavor and range of applications.
Because of the relatively large fat crystals in lard, it is extremely effective as ashorteninginbaking.Piecrusts made with lard tend to be flakier than those made with butter. Many cooks employ both types of fat in theirpastriesto combine the shortening properties of lard with the flavor of butter.
Lard was once widely used in the cuisines of Europe, China and the New World and still plays a significant role inBritish,Central European,MexicanandChinesecuisines. In British cuisine, lard is a traditional ingredient in mince pies and Christmas puddings,lardy cakeand for fryingfish and chipsas well as many other uses.
Lard is traditionally one of the main ingredients in theScandinavianpâtéleverpostej.
In Spain, one of the most popular versions of the Andalusian breakfast includes several kinds ofmantecasdifferently seasoned, consumed spread over toasted bread. Among other variants,manteca colorá(lard with paprika)andzurrapa de lomo(lard with pork flakes)are the preferred ones. InCatalan cuisinelard is used to make the dough for the pastry known ascoca. In the Balearics particularly,ensaïmadadough also contains lard.
Lard consumed as aspreadonbreadwas once very common in Europe and North America, especially those areas where dairy fats and vegetable oils were rare.
As the demand for lard grows in the high-end restaurant industry, small farmers have begun to specialize in heritage hog breeds with higher body-fat contents than the leaner, modern hog. Breeds such as theMangalitsa hogof Hungary orLarge Black pigof Great Britain are experiencing an enormous resurgence, to the point that breeders are unable to keep up with demand.
When used without qualification the word 'lard' in English generally refers to wet-rendered lard, which has a very mild, neutral flavor as opposed to the more noticeably pork-flavored dry-rendered lard, ordripping. Dripping sandwiches are still popular in several European countries—Hungarianzsíroskenyér("lardy bread") orzsírosdeszka("lardy plank"), andGerman"Fettbemme", seasoned pork fat. Similar snacks are sometimes served with beer in Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. They are generally topped withonions, served withsaltandpaprika, and eaten as a side-dish withbeer. All of these are commonly translated on menus as "lard" sandwiches, perhaps due to the lack of familiarity of most contemporary English native speakers with dripping. Attempts to use Hungarianzsíror Polishsmalec(both meaning "fat/lard") when British recipes calling for lard will reveal the difference between the wet-rendered lard and dripping.InTaiwan,Hong KongandMacao, as well as in many parts ofChina, lard was often consumed mixed into cookedricealong withsoy sauceto make "lard rice" (豬油拌飯 or 豬油撈飯). And in Japan, back loin (fatback) lard is frequently used forramen, creating a thick, nutty, slightly sweet and very hearty dish.
Traditionally, along with peanut oil, lard is extensively used in Asian cooking as a general-purpose cooking oil, esp. in stir-fries and deep-frying.
InGermanylard is calledSchweineschmalz(literally, "rendered fatfrom swine") and has been a longtime favorite as aspread. It can be served plain, or it can be mixed with seasonings: pork fat can be enhanced with small pieces of pork skin, calledGrieben(cf. Yiddishgribenes) to createGriebenschmalz. Other recipes call for small pieces of apple or onion. In English, however,schmaltzusually refers to kosher fat rendered from chicken, duck or goose.
VegetarianGriebenfrom onions or apples, which began as a makeshift means of dilutingSchmalzin time of need, became rather popular on their own account because they allow for a specific taste and a lower fat content. Completely vegetarianSchmalz-like spreads based on vegetable fats use those ingredients as well. In Germany it is forbidden to use the termSchmalzfor non-lard products.
InPoland, lard mixed with fruit, usually chopped apple, and spread on thick slices of bread, is often served as a starter.
Rendered lard can be used to producebiofuelandsoap. Lard is also useful as acutting fluidinmachining. Its use in machining has declined since the mid-20th century as other specially engineered cutting fluids became prominent. However, it is still a viable option. Lard and other animal fats were formerly used as ananti-foaming agentinindustrial fermentationprocesses such asbrewing; there, animal fats have been superseded bypolyethers.