Seattle Times
09-10-06
The Real Thing
By Matthew Amster-Burton
LATELY I'VE BEEN using an astonishing new cooking oil. Like olive oil, it's high
in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. (Though, like butter, it's also high in heartunhealthy saturated fat.) It produces flakier and tastier pie crusts than vegetable
shortening, with no trans fats.
For frying, there's nothing better: chicken, potatoes or doughnuts emerge from
the oil perfectly crispy, with no greasy flavor or texture.
This miracle oil wasn't produced in a laboratory. It was produced inside a pig.
The pig was raised at Skagit River Ranch in Sedro-Woolley, and I purchased the
fat at the University District Farmers Market. I took the fat home and rendered it
into golden, delicious lard.
Lard was once America's most popular cooking fat, but, like the jitterbug, it's
been in decline since the '40s. Isn't it time for a lard renaissance?
What killed lard was Crisco, billed as a healthy and hygienic alternative.
Unfortunately, Crisco is a terrible lard substitute. It doesn't taste as good; it
doesn't perform as well in pastry-making; and it turns out to be less healthy than
lard because of its trans fat content. (Crisco did introduce trans-fat-free
shortening in 2004.)
Where to find it
Skagit River Ranch and Samish Bay Cheese can be found at many area farmers
markets. Check their Web sites at skagitriverranch.com and
samishbaycheese.com for details.
"The whole fat debate over the last 20 years, we swung too far one direction,"
says John Sundstrom, chef-owner of Lark and Licorous. "I think animal fats, if
they're used properly, can be healthier than all the fake stuff."
Sundstrom's a chef. He would say that. So I put the question to Dr. Joe
Sebranek, professor of Animal Sciences at Iowa State University.
Sebranek came recommended as "a real expert on swine products," which I
consider high praise. "Lard has been criticized for being an animal fat, which
seems to imply a saturated fat. Lard has more unsaturated fatty acids than
saturated, but most importantly, health issues are more greatly affected by total
fat (and calorie) consumption than consumption of lard," Sebranek told me.
Lard can be rendered from two kinds of pork fat: back fat or leaf (kidney) fat. Leaf
lard, with its milder flavor and softer texture, is the best type for pie crust and
pastry. Sundstrom swears by the stuff.
"In the winter we've done a couple different styles of meat pie, where we'll do a
very traditional English lard crust," he says. "We've used it for desserts as well.
To do rhubarb-cherry crostata, it's amazing the difference between a lard crust
and Crisco-and-butter."
RECIPE
Lardsnaps
To find leaf fat, go to a farmers market. Skagit River Ranch and Samish Bay
Cheese sell leaf fat at many local farmers markets. As you might expect, pork fat
is not a major investment; $5 goes a long way.
Once you get the fat, cut it into chunks and throw it into the food processor.
Process it to a paste. Transfer the paste to an ovenproof pot and place it,
uncovered, in a 250-degree oven. Leave it there for several hours, stirring
occasionally, until you're left with lightly browned cracklings floating in a golden
sea of lard. Let the lard cool a bit, then strain it through a paper towel-lined sieve
into a clean container and refrigerate. It will keep for months.
If you're ready to try cooking with lard but not rendering it at home, you can
purchase prepared lard. Avoid the blue or green bricks sold at most
supermarkets; it's partially hydrogenated like shortening, and the flavor can't
compare to home-rendered.
Every large Latin American grocery sells lard. Guadalupe Market in Burien (1111
S.W. 128th St., 206-901-1529) sells large tubs (around 2 pounds) for $3.49. In
Bellevue, the upscale deli Porcella Urban Market (10245 Main St., Suite 101,
425-286-0080) sells 7 ounces of lard for $3.95.
In both cases — and this will almost certainly be true of any lard you find for sale
in Seattle — the lard is rendered from back fat. For frying, sautéing and making
tamales or tortillas, this lard is ideal.
But if you're determined to make the very best lard piecrust and don't want to
render your own (or if this article has caused a run on leaf fat and the local
vendors sell out), the best source I've found is Dietrich's Meats in Pennsylvania
(610-756-6344). Their freshly rendered leaf lard is $2.50/pound. Shipping is
about $10 for anything from one to five pounds, so go ahead and order five
pounds, because the holidays are coming up, and fresh leaf lard (or a pie made
with it) makes a great present.
Well, possibly not such a great Hanukkah present.
Matthew Amster-Burton is a Seattle freelance writer. Barry Wong is a Seattlebased freelance photographer. He can be reached at
studio@barrywongphoto.com.