Rendering your own lard is super easy and you'll get a significant bump in quality compared to store-bought lard. If you're new to this technique please consider giving it a go!
Refried beans, flour tortillas, tamales...they all have a secret ingredient in common that makes them taste Mexican. What is it?
Yup, it's lard.
Be honest, when you hear “lard” what’s the first image that pops in your head?
Traffic jam at the main aorta valve? A pair of treasured jeans that you can no longer button?
Lard gets a pretty bad rap these days. Part of it is misinformation. Part is the fat-shaming culture. And part is the word itself.
Lard.
It sounds….fatty, right?
But the truth is, good lard is healthier than most butters that you regularly cook with. Lard is classified as a monounsaturated fat, so it’s rich in the same fatty acids that the lauded olive oil has.
And while “no one can agree on nothing” when it comes to diet, in general it’s believed that diets higher in saturated fats produce more LDL (the bad cholesterol), and diets high in unsaturated fats produce more HDL (the good cholesterol).
This is why olive oil has become so popular recently. It’s loaded with unsaturated fats. And so is lard.
Maybe it’s just the name. Lard. How about from now on we just refer to lard as white butter?
Either way, lard is an integral part of Mexican cooking, used in tortillas, refried beans, and countless sauces. I hope I can convince a few of you to take a closer look at it!
OK, there are two types of pig fat used to render lard: back fat and leaf fat. Leaf fat produces a lighter, whiter lard that is traditionally used for pastries. Back fat produces a more robust version and is more commonly used for general cooking purposes.
You can usually find both types of fat at your local butcher. You’ll have to ask for it though as they tend to keep it back in the freezer.
Here is what 2 pounds of back fat looks like:
This will produce approximately 2 cups of the cleanest lard you’ll ever use.
The process is simple. We’ll be cooking the fat on low temp, and as the solids produce liquid we’ll strain it off into a holding container.
First, cut up the back fat into evenly sized chunks; about ½ inch works well. There is wiggle room on the size of the chunks, but make sure you are consistent so that the pieces will cook evenly.
Add a couple tablespoons of water to your pan.
This thin layer of water will prevent some initial sticking and it’ll burn off as the fat heats up.
Now add the chopped fat to the pan and cook over medium-low heat.
Nothing will happen for awhile. That’s good!
We want to draw out the liquid fat slowly to prevent burning.
After 15 minutes it’ll look something like this:
You can stir occasionally to prevent any sticking.
At 30 minutes you’ll be somewhere around here:
Now we’re talking! Some of the liquid fat is forming at the base of the pan.
And at 40-45 minutes it will look something like this:
Now it’s time to pull some of the fat out. This prevents any future burning but will also expedite the rest of the process as the solids will have more direct contact with the heat source.
Set up a holding container with a fine-mesh strainer and pour some of the fat through it. I used a stainless steel bowl for this batch.
I also lined the sieve with a cheesecloth to keep out some of the solid bits, but don't sweat it if you don’t have a cheesecloth as the strainer will suffice.
Let the rest of the fat continue to render on the stove.
For this batch I strained liquid fat out four times over 90 minutes.
Eventually the solids will reach a point where they’re not producing any more liquid:
That means they’re done!
Strain off the remainder of the liquid. Here is what I have after all that; about two cups worth:
Let it cool for a bit as it’s no fun spilling piping hot fat when you are jarring it 🙂
In the meantime, congratulate yourself on unknowingly making one of Latin America’s true delicacies: pork chicharones.
The solid bits of compressed fat left over in the pan are the chicharones. Drain them on paper towels, add a little salt, and give ‘em a taste.
Texture will vary depending on how much skin was attached to the back fat, but most likely they will be delicious (at least for some of us). Just be sure to put the brakes on once you start gobbling them down because they are, uhmmm, kinda fatty.
After the liquid has cooled a bit, pour it into your jar of choice.
I typically use a pint-sized Mason jar to hold the lard.
This will turn opaque and solidify in a couple hours, eventually looking like this:
I usually put this in the fridge where it can last for months. If you make a huge batch you can also freeze some of it.
And that’s it! You now have two cups of one of the cleanest cooking fats you’ll ever get your hands on. Congratulations!
One last note on the world of lard...
The lard you find in the baking section of grocery stores has been hydrogenated to increase shelf life so I usually stay away from it. But it's worth asking your local butcher if they sell any house-rendered lard -- sometimes they do as seen in this pic from the freezer of my local meat dude:
This can be a decent middle ground if you're in a bind and need some lard on the fly, but I still recommend that peeps render their own as it's a superior product. Plus it's kinda comforting to know exactly where your cooking fat is coming from 🙂
Okay got your home-rendered lard handy? Now what?!
It'll give you immediate access to these authentic Mexican recipes
And don't forget that you can crisp up your burritos in a teaspoon of lard if you want to turn Pro 🙂
Buen Provecho.
Homemade Lard
Ingredients
- 2 lbs . pork back fat
Instructions
- Chop up the pork back fat into evenly sized chunks, approx. 1/2 inch sized. There is wiggle room on the exact size but try to be consistent so that the pieces will cook evenly.
- Add 2 tablespoons of tap water to a sauce pan, this will prevent some initial sticking and will eventually burn off.
- Add the fat pieces to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat. It's best to draw the fat out slowly so don't worry if nothing much happens for the first 10-15 minutes.
- Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When you start to get a pool of fat in the pan, strain some of it off through a fine mesh sieve. Doing this occasionally can expedite the process as it will allow the solid bits to have more direct contact with the pan. Use caution when pouring the hot fat as spills can be dangerous. I typically pour it into a large, stress-free bowl for now. Once cooled you'll be transferring it to your storage container of choice. Wipe off any fat that is dripping down your cooking pan after pouring.
- Continue cooking the fat until it no longer produces any more liquid. That took close to 90 minutes for this batch.
- Strain the final bit of liquid into your holding container and let it cool on the counter.
- The leftover bits of fat are pork chicharones, you can save these for munching if you want to!
- Once cooled you can transfer the lard to your storage container of choice. I typically use a pint-sized Mason jar.
- Store the lard in the fridge where it will keep for months at a time.
Still hungry?!
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Faith Kristel D.
OMG.
I was fascinated and curious about lard for the past few days because I heard it tastes better and healthier than butter. So, I searched for a recipe. TURNS OUT, I have been unknowingly making lard all my life: I love making chicharones!
Thank you for this article!
Patrick
Ha awesome, luv it when I discover something I already know 🙂
joe mamma
I found it very tasty. Easy recipe!!!
Debbie
I finally located a source for the fat to make lard! It is about an hour and a half drive from me to the North Georgia mountains but it is a local farm store near some local wineries and I love supporting those businesses. Anyway, followed your directions that were so easy and now I have lard for a fraction of the cost of the lard I ordered online!
Patrick
Ha awesome Debbie! So glad you found a good source.
Nick K
I have the same comedy of errors concerning pork lard. I chased down a country butcher shop 30 miles from us to find pork lard...which was in the freezer..I was going to use it to make pie crusts. The butcher asked me if I knew how to render it? I asked " Render it.?..unconscious? "
It worked out well but was time consuming...plus this butcher shop was the only one around that had it.
Kendall
How long will it keep? Shelf, fridge, and freezer.
Patrick
Hi Kendall! I always put it in the fridge where it will keep for months at a time. I think it would freeze well but I usually don't bother because it does so well in the fridge.
tony
Nana made the best food, a bit of lard in all. I am a half breed and when I want Mexican food I usually cook it myself. My oldest son knows and loves the proper way to cook.
My wife used to get upset when I would pull out the lard. I kept telling her it was safer than margarine and most butters. She finally checked and now it doesn't bother her.
Thank you for the article and recipe. I also remove chicken skin and cook the fat out so some crispy snacks are available.
Patrick
Thanks much Tony!
Carmela Silvestri
I will try this and then use it to fry chicken thanks for sharing
Patrick
Okay thanks Carmela!
Chris
Wow! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, it will certainly come in handy come tamale time! Do you think this manteca can also be used to make pie crusts and empanada dough?
Patrick
Oh absolutely! Although the fine dining pastry world would probably prefer that you use leaf fat (as opposed to back fat) to render the lard as it is supposed to have a milder flavor. But I don't think you get an overwhelming pork flavor from rendering back fat so I wouldn't hesitate to use it in pie crusts.
Feriba
Thank you so much for the recipe to render my own lard because it is hard to find. What is leaf fat ?
Patrick
Hi Feriba! Leaf fat is taken from a different part of the animal than back fat, somewhere around the kidneys. It has a lighter, less 'porky' flavor and it's commonly used in the pastry world.
Elaine
Is the leftover solidified fat from a roasted beef bone broth good to use?
Patrick
Hi Elaine, good question! I've never used that fat before but lots of peeps do. Taking into account a prominent beef flavor, here are some suggestions for using it:
https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/5803/what-to-do-with-the-fat-rendered-when-making-beef-stock
And if it has lots of solid bits you can liquefy it and re-strain to clean it up:
https://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2015/06/how-to-render-tallow-from-your-beef-broth.html
Hope that helps a bit. Cheers.
Momof4
This is great! Can I just use the freeze from cooking bacon though? Or a pork roast with fat on it?
Momof4
Grease! Not freeze!
Patrick
Hi Momof4 -- yes you can use bacon fat in place of lard but it probably won't be as potent as lard rendered from 100pct fat. Plus it will taste like bacon (potentially bad but potentially awesome too.)
Amelia
Thanks so much for this! As someone from a Mexican family, I grew up with my mom and grandma using manteca (or lard in English) in the kitchen, and never understood the aversion people have to it. It adds a ton of flavor and richness to literally everything; when prepared this way, you know exactly what goes into it. I look forward to making this in the very near future. 🙂
Patrick
Hi Amelia! I know, it's a little strange that lard gets such a bad rap these days isn't it? I love having a jar of it in the fridge as it can be such a clean fat to work with.