Need help from the lard-o-philes...

OliverB · November 29, 2012

thanks, I have to try that! It's delicious :-)

**andiesenji** · December 1, 2012

I found the recipe that has come down in my family for "Dundee Cake" that uses lard. One of my great grandmothers was descended from the McIlhenny clan of western Scotland and the Hebrides.

The recipe has been modernized over the decades but there are still notes from earlier versions.

I'm adding it here because it uses lard instead of butter. I was told that it was cheaper to raise pigs than milk cows in the area in Scotland where the family originated so lard was more readily available than butter.

Apparently the original title was "cutting cake" because it was baked in a tin and sliced, instead of individual cakes being baked on a girdle (griddle).

It has been titled "Dundee Cake" since the latter half of the 19th century.

G-Gmaws Dundee Cake from The McIlhenny laird.

1 cup raisins, "seeded" I use sultanas - no longer a need to "seed" raisins.

handful of dried black currants (real black currants, not the "Zante raisins") Optional, use the Sun Maid "currants" if needful.

2 1/4 cups plain flour "twice boulted" (Measure the flour and sift it twice)

1/2 teaspoon rounded - plain salt

3/4 teaspoon saleratus (baking soda)

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

- - - - You can substitute 1 TEASPOON of double-acting baking powder for the previous two ingredients

3/4 cup fine white lard

3/4 cup sugar (original recipe had instructions to nip off enough sugar from a "loaf" and pound it to a fine grain)

3 eggs (large) (originally 5 eggs but eggs were much smaller then)

1/2 cup sweet milk

1/4 cup candied peel and citron, chopped very fine

1 tablespoon of grated orange peel

1/4 cup blanched almonds, chopped fine

12 almonds, blanched and halved for topping

Mix the fruits with 1/4 cup of the flour add the chopped almonds and set aside.

In a large bowl sift the salt and baking powder with the 2 cups of flour

cut the lard into the flour until it looks like oatmeal (referring to pinhead oatmeal)

add the sugar and toss until well mixed

beat the eggs with the milk and stir into the dry ingredients.

The dough will be stiff.

Add the fruit and nut mixture and mix well until fruits are evenly distributed throughout.

Line a 9-inch springform pan with buttered paper (bakers parchment)

Spoon in the mixture and spread it evenly and smooth the top.

Arrange the almond halves in two concentric circles on the top

Bake in a medium oven (about 325°F) for 1 1/4 hours

The sides of the cake should have pulled away from the tin.

(I use a probe thermometer and make sure the center of the cake has reached 205 degrees F.)

Allow to cool for fifteen minutes and transfer from pan to a cooling rack.

This cake tastes better after it has "matured" for at least a couple of days.

Shel_B · February 3, 2015

On 5/10/2012 at 12:40 PM, KennethT said:
One of the most effective (meaning giving the most yield) ways of rendering fat was discussed in Modernist Cuisine. It doesn't yield any crunchy bits (so Mrs. Liuzhou won't be happy, but you'll have a lot more fat for the effort). Basically, cut up the raw fat into small chunks and put in the blender and cover with water. Blend until you have a nice fat-shake, then put in a pan and simmer on the stovetop or in low oven. The solids will make a raft on top, and you'll have loads of beautiful rendered fat beneath. They've also taken the fat shake, put in a mason jar and put in the pressure cooker. IIRC, they also added some baking soda but I don't have the book in front of me so I can't check it. I think they found the pressure cooker method to yield the most neutral fat.

This is essentially what I'm doing this afternoon. I put about 1/4 cup of water into the processer and then added the pork fat (left over from a dish I made two weeks ago and which had been frozen). There were some remnants of meat attached to the fat, and I'm hoping that will add a little flavor to the rendered lard. I've rendered lard twice before, and even the one time when there were bits of pork attached to the fat, the results were as white as snow and not as flavorful as the darker, light-brown colored lard purchased at the Mexican market. However, I just diced the fat, added to a pot with a little water, and let the whole thing render.

I have enough white lard ... hoping for a little more flavor from this batch. Here's a pic of it in the pan after about 20 minutes:

And here it is after about an hour and fifteen minutes. You can see the rendered fat along the outer edge of the solids.

Edited February 3, 2015 by Shel_B (log)

dcarch · February 4, 2015

To get the most out from rendering fat, get a lard press.

dcarch

Shel_B · February 4, 2015

On 2/4/2015 at 1:37 AM, dcarch said:
To get the most out from rendering fat, get a lard press.

Well, I never heard of a lard press, so I Googled it ... ain't no way I've got room for one of those things here, nor would I waste my $$ on one if I did. Maybe if I had a commercial operation, but for a pint or two a year ... ?

Edited February 4, 2015 by Shel_B (log)

**andiesenji** · February 4, 2015

I have an old juice press that works great at forcing the last little bit of lard out of the solids.

You can find them on ebay fairly inexpensive.

dcarch · February 4, 2015

A potato ricer works too.

http://www.lefsetime.com/store/images/P/Heavy-Potato-Ricer.jpg

dcarch

Shel_B · February 4, 2015

On 2/4/2015 at 7:50 AM, andiesenji said:
I have an old juice press that works great at forcing the last little bit of lard out of the solids.

You can find them on ebay fairly inexpensive.
Univ. Juicer.jpg

On 2/4/2015 at 12:41 PM, dcarch said:
A potato ricer works too.

http://www.lefsetime.com/store/images/P/Heavy-Potato-Ricer.jpg

dcarch

Thanks for the suggestions, but I really have no need for such items, nor do I have the space. I'm sure your kitchens are far roomier, and more storage-friendly, than mine. However, it's nice to be aware of the possibilities, and my Google search for a lard press resulted in a couple of interesting videos, such as this one.

lindag · February 4, 2015

I love having leaf lard on hand for making piecrusts! Nothing can compare. Even though I have to order it online and pay for shipping, it is still worth the doing. I order ten pounds at a time and store it in my big freezer. That gives me plenty for my pies and for sharing with a friend.

I order it here: http://www.dietrichsmeats.com/Lard.html

**Shelby** · February 4, 2015

Thanks for bumping this thread up!

I have a lot of pork fat that I'm going to render. Life keeps getting in the way, though. I wonder how long I can keep this fat in the fridge? I think I might be able to start on it Friday...but if not should I freeze it?

Shel_B · February 4, 2015

On 2/4/2015 at 2:51 PM, Shelby said:
Thanks for bumping this thread up!

I have a lot of pork fat that I'm going to render. Life keeps getting in the way, though. I wonder how long I can keep this fat in the fridge? I think I might be able to start on it Friday...but if not should I freeze it?

My limited experience suggests that you'll be fine without freezing. A couple of weeks ago I purchased a container of "Manteca" at a nearby Latino market. They had a big tub filled with pint containers of the stuff - must have had 20 or so in the tub when I got there, and the woman in the store said the tub had been filled with about 50 containers, and it had been out all day. No refrigeration at all. When it got home, the lard sat out until the next morning when I used some and put the remainder in the fridge, and that's where it sat for more than a week, after which I checked it for rancidity or any off flavors, and it seemed just fine, so it went into the freezer.

The first batch I rendered has never been frozen, and it, too, is fine. It's been in the refrigerator about two weeks, and I just made another pint or so.

A lot of words to say that you needn't be concerned.

Shel_B · February 4, 2015

Here's a comparison between the lard I rendered (on the left) and the lard I purchased at the Latino market. The color difference is obvious. The darker lard seems to have a richer, more pork-like flavor, although the lighter, home rendered product has some flavor as well. I've rendered lard three times in the past three weeks, each time using a different technique, including rendering the fat with bits of meat attached. In all cases my lard was white and less flavorful than the Latino lard. Any thoughts as to how I can get the richer color and flavor from my product?

jmacnaughtan · February 4, 2015

It looks like the Mexican lard has been done over a higher heat, probably leaving the crunchy bits in as well for a long time. That way, the fat would be more likely to infuse with the crispy bits' colour and flavour.

It could of course be from another type of pig though, but I don't think it would make a difference.

On 2/4/2015 at 3:27 PM, Shel_B said:
My limited experience suggests that you'll be fine without freezing. A couple of weeks ago I purchased a container of "Manteca" at a nearby Latino market. They had a big tub filled with pint containers of the stuff - must have had 20 or so in the tub when I got there, and the woman in the store said the tub had been filled with about 50 containers, and it had been out all day. No refrigeration at all. When it got home, the lard sat out until the next morning when I used some and put the remainder in the fridge, and that's where it sat for more than a week, after which I checked it for rancidity or any off flavors, and it seemed just fine, so it went into the freezer.

The first batch I rendered has never been frozen, and it, too, is fine. It's been in the refrigerator about two weeks, and I just made another pint or so.

A lot of words to say that you needn't be concerned.

I disagree with you here- from what I understand, Shelby has unrendered fat instead of lard. This will contain a decent amount of water (unlike lard), so can easily spoil. I'd throw it in the freezer until you need it.

Shel_B · February 4, 2015

On 2/4/2015 at 4:44 PM, jmacnaughtan said:
I disagree with you here- from what I understand, Shelby has unrendered fat instead of lard. This will contain a decent amount of water (unlike lard), so can easily spoil. I'd throw it in the freezer until you need it.

Point taken ... I do believe you're correct.

huiray · February 4, 2015

On 2/4/2015 at 4:44 PM, jmacnaughtan said:
It looks like the Mexican lard has been done over a higher heat, probably leaving the crunchy bits in as well for a long time. That way, the fat would be more likely to infuse with the crispy bits' colour and flavour.

Yes. I think one should step away from that Modernist Cuisine book at least once in a while and do things the old-fashioned way. Rendering pig fat using chopped-up/small-cubed fat and at a suitable temperature so as to create (in the same pot/pan/whatever one is rendering said fat in) those lardons** and referred to in the initial parts of this thread makes for slightly colored, porky rendered lard.

** Browned pieces of crunchy, delicious residual pieces much beloved of a lot of culinary traditions (Southern Chinese & SE Asian, at least). Stuff that is prized in many places and in many dishes. KL Hokkien Mee, as one example, REQUIRES these browned crunchy lardons for it to be good.

jmacnaughtan · February 4, 2015

On 2/4/2015 at 5:04 PM, huiray said:
Yes. I think one should step away from that Modernist Cuisine book at least once in a while and do things the old-fashioned way. Rendering pig fat using chopped-up/small-cubed fat and at a suitable temperature so as to create (in the same pot/pan/whatever one is rendering said fat in) those lardons** and referred to in the initial parts of this thread makes for slightly colored, porky rendered lard.

** Browned pieces of crunchy, delicious residual pieces much beloved of a lot of culinary traditions (Southern Chinese & SE Asian, at least). Stuff that is prized in many places and in many dishes. KL Hokkien Mee, as one example, REQUIRES these browned crunchy lardons for it to be good.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you're talking about grattons, a snack food particularly beloved in Lyon. Lardons are small pieces of bacon, over here anyway.

huiray · February 4, 2015

On 2/4/2015 at 5:20 PM, jmacnaughtan said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you're talking about grattons, a snack food particularly beloved in Lyon. Lardons are small pieces of bacon, over here anyway.

You are correct insofar as Western/European usage is concerned, I think. But E/SE Asian and (also other places) locales use the term "lardons" to mean those crunchy bits of pork fat that have been largely rendered but are nevertheless "left" as that brownish crunchy bit that folks who know what it is recognize it as. :-) ;-)

Edited February 4, 2015 by huiray (log)

jmacnaughtan · February 5, 2015

On 2/4/2015 at 5:23 PM, huiray said:
You are correct insofar as Western/European usage is concerned, I think. But E/SE Asian and (also other places) locales use the term "lardons" to mean those crunchy bits of pork fat that have been largely rendered but are nevertheless "left" as that brownish crunchy bit that folks who know what it is recognize it as. :-) ;-)

My bad, I stand corrected

Shel_B · February 6, 2015

On 2/4/2015 at 4:44 PM, jmacnaughtan said:
It looks like the Mexican lard has been done over a higher heat, probably leaving the crunchy bits in as well for a long time. That way, the fat would be more likely to infuse with the crispy bits' colour and flavour.

It could of course be from another type of pig though, but I don't think it would make a difference.

Subsequent reading on the subject suggests that you're correct about longer times, although I'm not sure about higher heat in and of itself. I don't think it's the breed of pig as I used three different types and the results were all the same.

jmacnaughtan · February 6, 2015

On 2/6/2015 at 2:20 AM, Shel_B said:
Subsequent reading on the subject suggests that you're correct about longer times, although I'm not sure about higher heat in and of itself. I don't think it's the breed of pig as I used three different types and the results were all the same.

Maybe you could try using meatier pieces of meat, or even browning them off first.

In fact, you could probably just not add any water at the beginning. You'd get some initial browning, and that would help flavour the fat.

**Shelby** · February 7, 2015

My fat is rendering away in the slow cooker.

I have a "warm" setting and a "low" setting. It seems like the low is too hot and the warm isn't hot enough, so I'm switching back and forth. Since this is my first time doing this, I'm not sure how picky to be.

Shalmanese · February 7, 2015

On 2/7/2015 at 5:09 PM, Shelby said:
My fat is rendering away in the slow cooker.

I have a "warm" setting and a "low" setting. It seems like the low is too hot and the warm isn't hot enough, so I'm switching back and forth. Since this is my first time doing this, I'm not sure how picky to be.

photo.JPG

How is low too hot? As long as there's water remaining, the temp won't get above 100C. As long as it's below 100C, there shouldn't be any issue with brown flavors developing.

**Shelby** · February 7, 2015

On 2/7/2015 at 5:30 PM, Shalmanese said:
How is low too hot? As long as there's water remaining, the temp won't get above 100C. As long as it's below 100C, there shouldn't be any issue with brown flavors developing.

The low setting makes it begin to simmer and bubble.

Shalmanese · February 7, 2015

On 2/7/2015 at 5:38 PM, Shelby said:
The low setting makes it begin to simmer and bubble.

You want simmering and bubbling to drive the water off.

Shel_B · February 7, 2015

On 2/7/2015 at 5:09 PM, Shelby said:
My fat is rendering away in the slow cooker.

I have a "warm" setting and a "low" setting. It seems like the low is too hot and the warm isn't hot enough, so I'm switching back and forth. Since this is my first time doing this, I'm not sure how picky to be.

Hi, Shelby ... I've rendered small batches of lard three times over the last few weeks, each time using somewhat different techniques. The results were all good, without much difference between batches. IMO, there's no need to be picky ... seems like the process is pretty forgiving.

Not having a slow cooker, I did the rendering on the stove top. From what you're saying, it may be that the stove top can give better temperature control, i.e., temp can be set to an almost infinite range rather than just warm and low. If you do this again, it might be worthwhile to consider the stove top (or oven) as an option.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Shel_B (log)

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