Lard. Just the word evokes a certain chest-clenching fear. But I'm curious. Why is that? Of course everyone knows olive oil is great for you, butter is okay, and trans fats are bad, bad, bad. So, of course, is lard.
Or is it? Let's talk a little about lard, and what it is. To be simple, lard is pork fat. We all know that pork is the most delicious of all the fats. There are 2 types of lard; fatback lard and leaf lard. If you are buying lard, you are buying rendered fatback. Leaf lard comes from around the kidneys and internal organs, and is considered to be a premium fat among fats. Leaf lard is about 3 times the price of lard lard; there is less on a pig, and it must be specifically ordered.
While researching lard, I read one account which said it added no flavor to the food it's cooked in, and was scandalized. Of course lard imparts a flavor! It isn't really a porky flavor, but more of a subtle umami flavor - just yummy savoriness.
A few weeks ago, I attended a really great wine tasting near Cincinnati; the tasting featured many local producers, including a producer of Ohio River caviar, great lamb, mushrooms, Ky goat cheese, and pork. As the vendors were leaving, I noticed the table of Feilder Family Farms had a few tubs of lard with notes on top saying "take me home!" Considering I had just about had my fingertips bitten off by the rep from the Chef's Garden for even touching their box of microgreens, this seemed like the perfect invitation.
Long time readers might be aware that I come from an Amish background, where lard was used in lots of things. I love to buy the bread at Yutzy's Farm Market in Plain City, because it is made with lard. It's soft and delightful; strangely comforting. Yum.
As I was walking around the wine tasting, Kevin O'Connor from Lioco wines (they're delicious, you should go buy some) told me that fish cooked in lard is amazingly delicious.
Not one to eschew good advice when it's given to me, I went right home and took some wild sockeye salmon out of the freezer. Now. Salmon is very good for you; especially the fatty bits. There is a good deal of fat below the skin, so I always like to eat the skin to get the yummy fatty nutrients. But fish skin is only tasty when it's crisp and salty. I melted a few tablespoons of lard in a nonstick pan and slid in my salted salmon filet, skin side down. I crisped the skin and then cooked the salmon by basting it with the bubbling lard until it was cooked (this might sound time-consuming, but it really only takes about 5 minutes)
oh. my. delishimousness.
This might have been the best piece of fish I have ever cooked. And I've cooked me some salmon in my days.
The skin was crisp - delightfully crisp, all of the skin, and all the way through. The flesh side of the fish filet was delicate, meaty, savory - not fishy at all, but just meaty.
I noticed something very strange as I was cooking the piece of fish.
Typically, when cooking and basting something with fat, you will notice that the fat will be gone from the pan after cooking. What I noticed was that the lard wasn't absorbed into the fish. I basted and basted the filet with the hot lard, but when I was finished cooking the fish, there was still a large amount of lard remaining in the pan. Could it be that somehow, when cooking with lard, less fat is absorbed? I'm going to conduct some more research and see if I can find a scientific explanation.
I have also been popping popcorn in lard. It's tasty, too.
Compared to fats such as butter or extra virgin olive oil, lard is relatively inexpensive. You can find it in any grocery store, and of course, at Thurns.
