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Hey Everyone,
If you have been getting our newsletter for a while, you may remember a previous email titled "Lard rendering 101." This week I want to present a new-and-improved version and give a few more tips on how to easily create this nutrient-dense, natural cooking oil.
What is rendering? You might ask. Rendering is taking the raw fat from an animal, isolating the pure oils, and leaving behind the tissue and any meat pieces. The proteins found in the meat and tissue have a lower smoke point (they burn more quickly) than the stable fats, so the rendering process results in a cooking fat that can be taken to frying temperature without free radicals being created through oxidation.
Over time, I have moved away from the stove-top method described in my previous instructions and found much success with the oven method - the latter allows for a more consistent temperature and requires less supervision. I like to do a 5 lb + batch when I render because it keeps well in the freezer and I like to share it with friends and family.
Preparation:
I start by thawing the pieces of grass-fed beef fat or pastured pork fat and cutting them into as small of pieces as possible with a sharp knife. If you have a meat grinder, this will result in the fastest rendering, but it might be difficult to clean. My favorite fat to use is beef suet - the fat surrounding the beef's kidneys - because it crumbles in your hands, no need to cut. Place the diced fat in a Dutch oven large enough to hold all the pieces, and then place it in a 225 degree Fahrenheit oven. At this point, I hit the hay and sleep a good 8 hours dreaming about the delicious end product. In the morning, I stir the pieces of fat and let it continue to melt for another hour or two.
Straining:
The beef and pork fat has now turned into tallow and lard, respectively. Place a fine metal strainer on top of a large glass bowl (preferably with a handle and lip for pouring) and set out clean glass jars to store the fat in (you will get just under one pint per pound of raw fat used). Carefully pour the warm fat from the Dutch oven into the strainer, keeping in mind that some might drip down the side of the pot as you pour. Pour the brown bits of fat, called cracklin', into the strainer and press them down with a wooden spoon or the bottom of a glass bowl until all the fat has been squeezed out. finally, pour the strained fat into the jars and seal while hot - let cool to room temp before refrigerating or freezing. admire the golden color of the liquid fat which will eventually turn snow-white.
Congratulations! You now have an essential cooking fat loaded with health-promoting saturated fats, mono-unsaturated fats, and vitamins A, D, and K2 in abundance. Our hogs are raised in the sunshine, so they have an exceptionally high amount of vitamin D stored in their fat, and our beef is raised on 100% grass, so it is loaded with the fat-soluble vitamins and has a proper ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fats.
 | | Eggs cooked with pork cracklin' |
Now what? The options are endless:
- Use as a healthy alternative to vegetable shortening or frying oil (these are almost always processed with harsh chemicals, hydrogenated, rancid, and from genetically modified organisms). Use lard and tallow for baked goods, frying eggs, stir fry, sautéing, and much more.
- Use the crackling on salads or with eggs (see picture) just as you would use bacon pieces.
- Rub it on your skin! An excellent skin moisturizer can be made with 9 parts beef tallow, 1 part organic unfiltered olive oil, and a few drops of essential oils. This is a great way to directly nourish your skin cells.
- Make candles with the beef tallow and essential oils. Set the mood with "bovine breeze" or "pasture serenity"
- Use tallow for soap-making, the old-fashioned way
We have lots of fat in stock from our pasture-raised, organic fed hogs. Get it before it sells out - this week we have a special coupon for $5 off any purchase of $50 or more on the web. Feel free to shoot me an email or give me a call if you want more info about rendering fats.
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