Guest guest Posted January 20, 2004 Report Share Posted January 20, 2004 In a message dated 1/20/04 7:40:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, sallywinters2000@... writes: > I'm trying to find a source for some good lard, preferably grass-fed. > Hi Sally, One of our local farms www.mhof.net sells organic lard from pastured pigs. Unfortuantely, I'm sure she's out, since there are very few producers, and many people who want lard. Fortunately, she's been raising her prices and hopefully she will continue to price-gouge us until other folks get in on the job and start producing quality lard. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2004 Report Share Posted January 20, 2004 There is a guy in Bellingham that raises pigs, though I don't think they eat only grass (can you even raise a pig off grass?) and he doesn't use the lard much so you can get it when there is a slaughtering. He may have some: greg vanderwerff 360.592.3218 He also raises steer and beefalo, if you order in the spring. -- Heidi >I'm trying to find a source for some good lard, preferably grass-fed. >Where do list members get their lard? I'd appreciate pointers to any >online sources. Even better would be a local farmer, I'm in Portland, >OR, and have searched around for a local producer but can't seem to >find one. If anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate it. > >Thanks, > >Sally > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2004 Report Share Posted January 20, 2004 Oh .. also someone mentioned " the Meat Shop " in Tacoma ... I haven't been there but I hear they have good stuff. >I'm trying to find a source for some good lard, preferably grass-fed. >Where do list members get their lard? I'd appreciate pointers to any >online sources. Even better would be a local farmer, I'm in Portland, >OR, and have searched around for a local producer but can't seem to >find one. If anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate it. > >Thanks, > >Sally > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2004 Report Share Posted January 20, 2004 Thanks, I'll try him. It doesn't have to be grass-fed or organic, just something better than the kind you can buy at the grocery store. > > There is a guy in Bellingham that raises pigs, though I don't think > they eat only grass (can you even raise a pig off grass?) and he > doesn't use the lard much so you can get it when there is > a slaughtering. He may have some: > > greg vanderwerff > 360.592.3218 > > He also raises steer and beefalo, if you order in the spring. > > -- Heidi > > > >I'm trying to find a source for some good lard, preferably grass- fed. > >Where do list members get their lard? I'd appreciate pointers to any > >online sources. Even better would be a local farmer, I'm in Portland, > >OR, and have searched around for a local producer but can't seem to > >find one. If anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate it. > > > >Thanks, > > > >Sally > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Ami- >It was a big >surprise to me, but anyway, the best thing I could come up with was >salted port fat in block at Whole Foods. I wiped off the excess salt >from the surface of the fat and food processed it but it just isn't >the same. The salted pork fat you found hasn't been rendered, whereas lard is pork fat which has. You could try rendering that salted fat, but I'm not sure how useful it would be with all that salt in it. Or are you able to remove virtually all of it by wiping the surface? I've never gotten salted fatback myself. As to finding lard... good luck. The last two WAPF shopping guides have listed a website which STILL isn't up. I keep meaning to email Sally about that. At this point, I'm afraid that the only reliable way for most people to get lard is to order pork fat and make it themselves. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 be sure to get theright fat though - according to our butcher (who is also a sous chef), you can't render lard from the fatback, only from a small portion of the belly(?) fat. -katja At 04:29 PM 1/21/2004, you wrote: >At this point, I'm afraid that the only reliable way for most people to get >lard is to order pork fat and make it themselves. atg technical support support@... 1-800-RING ATG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 And the best lard for pastry (not that I EVER eat pastry) is from the fat around the kidneys, or " leaf lard. " I know there have been many posts on this list on how to make lard from pork fat. It's not hard. ******************************************* be sure to get theright fat though - according to our butcher (who is also a sous chef), you can't render lard from the fatback, only from a small portion of the belly(?) fat. -katja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 >At this point, I am not picky as to whether the cows were grass fed >or what, so I would even go with any lard, as long as it is not >HYDROGENATED. > >Ami If it comes from a cow, it is technically called tallow. If it comes from a pig, it is lard. However, if you aren't picky about what the animal was fed, you can often get either from butchers just by asking. Most if it is usually thrown out (and they pay to have it hauled) so they will give it to you or sell it fairly cheap. Even the places that have pastured pigs etc. aren't actually selling the lard yet, it seems. People pick up the meat and leave the fat. So the first thing I'd do is call the " custom meat packers " and butcher shops and see what they say. There are laws in some states regarding what they can do with the fat from " someone else's " meat, so you may have to make a deal with the person who is getting their meat processed. Up side is, most of the " custom " meat is grown privately, so while it may not be organic, it isn't factory farmed either. There may be local beefalo or small organic farmers getting their meat processed at a custom shop too. Then you will have a box full of fat. After that you have to " render " it, which is basically cooking it until all the fat drains off and the water is driven out. That isn't a huge amount of work ... once it is rendered it keeps at room temp. -- Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Katja- >you can't render lard from the fatback, only from a small >portion of the belly(?) fat. I don't know why he'd say that. I've rendered fatback on numerous occasions. I am given to understand, though, that fat from different parts of the body has different characteristics once rendered; leaf lard, the lard from around the kidneys, is supposed to be best for pastries, pie crusts and other baked goods, for example. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 i'll ask him...he said to use the fat back just like bacon grease and not to render it. but he may have been discriminating -- just meaning that in his opinion it wasn't worth it or something... >I don't know why he'd say that. I've rendered fatback on numerous >occasions. I am given to understand, though, that fat from different parts >of the body has different characteristics once rendered; leaf lard, the >lard from around the kidneys, is supposed to be best for pastries, pie >crusts and other baked goods, for example. > > > > >- > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Heidi- Do you ever notice any air quality problems during rendering? I'm extremely sensitive to smoke, and yet though rendering fat doesn't bother me in the least, it gives my girlfriend horrible, horrible trouble. Needless to say, this is a major problem since quality rendered lard is almost impossible to find. Am I doing something wrong? I don't _see_ it smoking, and I try to use minimal temperatures... >That isn't a huge amount of work ... >once it is rendered it keeps at room temp. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 >I don't know why he'd say that. I've rendered fatback on numerous >occasions. I am given to understand, though, that fat from different parts >of the body has different characteristics once rendered; leaf lard, the >lard from around the kidneys, is supposed to be best for pastries, pie >crusts and other baked goods, for example. - Leaf lard is MUCH MUCH easier to render, I think might be part of it. I was shocked at how easy it is. It just melts right down. Easy to cut up too. Probably has different properties too, but the butcher told me they like it because it is " cleaner " -- i.e. less connective tissue and messy bits. -- Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Katja, Likely because he's a chef. Guessing, could be the French way. My Dad's a butcher and meat cutter, Mom French-Canadian. Few days after fall pig slaughter she'd render all the fat left together into lard that didn't go into sausage making. Saves some work though freezing pieces of fatback proportionate to a frypan full of homefries. Need some bacon grease for flavor. > i'll ask him...he said to use the fat back just like bacon grease and not > to render it. but he may have been discriminating -- just meaning that in > his opinion it wasn't worth it or something... Wanita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 well heck then, i'll try it! i'll let everyone know how it goes At 06:16 PM 1/21/2004, you wrote: >Katja, > >Likely because he's a chef. Guessing, could be the French way. My Dad's a >butcher and meat cutter, Mom French-Canadian. Few days after fall pig >slaughter she'd render all the fat left together into lard that didn't go >into sausage making. Saves some work though freezing pieces of fatback >proportionate to a frypan full of homefries. Need some bacon grease for >flavor. > > > > > i'll ask him...he said to use the fat back just like bacon grease and not > > to render it. but he may have been discriminating -- just meaning that in > > his opinion it wasn't worth it or something... > >Wanita > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 >I found lard at Sav-A-Lot that had BHT added " to protect the flavor " but was >not hydrogenated. I bet it's a long way from organic. > >Judith Alta The only lard I can buy locally is likewise, not hydrogenated and with BHT. What is BHT anyway and how bad is it for us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 There should be no smoke in rendering either beef or pork fat. They heat should only be high enough to get the job done. I will do about two batches, clean the skilled and do two more, etc. The matrix should never be allowed to get brown. I keep pressing it with a potato masher that that has a flat round bottom with small square holes in it to get the fat out. When the fat stops sizzling I know the water is gone and strain it into pint canning jars. Do not seal the jars. I just the flat lid on the top to keep it clean. I do put mine in the refrigerator. Harder for the dog to get into it there. He's been known to help himself to a pint when it was left too close to the edge of the shelf. The last I did was a 20 pound slab that included the kidney. (Great snacks for the dog.) It gave me 14 pints! Salt the leftover matrix and eat and enjoy! Yum! Yum! Judith Alta -----Original Message----- From: Idol [mailto:Idol@...] Heidi- Do you ever notice any air quality problems during rendering? I'm extremely sensitive to smoke, and yet though rendering fat doesn't bother me in the least, it gives my girlfriend horrible, horrible trouble. Needless to say, this is a major problem since quality rendered lard is almost impossible to find. Am I doing something wrong? I don't _see_ it smoking, and I try to use minimal temperatures... >That isn't a huge amount of work ... >once it is rendered it keeps at room temp. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Wow Judith, Thank you for posting this! This looks easy. All I need to find now is a slab of fat :-) Ami --- In , " Judith Alta " <jaltak@v...> wrote: > There should be no smoke in rendering either beef or pork fat. They heat > should only be high enough to get the job done. I will do about two > batches, clean the skilled and do two more, etc. The matrix should never be > allowed to get brown. I keep pressing it with a potato masher that that has > a flat round bottom with small square holes in it to get the fat out. When > the fat stops sizzling I know the water is gone and strain it into pint > canning jars. > > Do not seal the jars. I just the flat lid on the top to keep it clean. I do > put mine in the refrigerator. Harder for the dog to get into it there. He's > been known to help himself to a pint when it was left too close to the edge > of the shelf. > > The last I did was a 20 pound slab that included the kidney. (Great snacks > for the dog.) It gave me 14 pints! > > Salt the leftover matrix and eat and enjoy! Yum! Yum! > > Judith Alta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 It is easy. It just needs to be watched so you can't go off and leave it. I spin yarn on a spindle and this is a good time to spin a few yards. Judith Alta -----Original Message----- From: amiinmv [mailto:amiinmv@...] Wow Judith, Thank you for posting this! This looks easy. All I need to find now is a slab of fat :-) Ami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 : Mine doesn't smoke, but it sure makes the house smell! All those airborne aromatics probably aren't good ... I think it is one of those things that was best done in a big kettle, outside ... like boiling cow hooves! Next year I'm going to rig up an outdoor " stove " I hope. We have lots of free wood. Also ... you can save a lot of money by doing this sort of thing on a woodstove. We have one outside, and it's a lot nicer for cooking things that take forever. Also ... it is better if you do it INSIDE the stove. I did some in a big roasting pan and just roasted it on a fairly low heat (300 or so). Them most of the gases stay in the stove. Just be REAL CAREFUL taking it out ... -- Heidi >Heidi- > >Do you ever notice any air quality problems during rendering? I'm >extremely sensitive to smoke, and yet though rendering fat doesn't bother >me in the least, it gives my girlfriend horrible, horrible >trouble. Needless to say, this is a major problem since quality rendered >lard is almost impossible to find. Am I doing something wrong? I don't >_see_ it smoking, and I try to use minimal temperatures... > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Judith- >The matrix should never be >allowed to get brown. What color does yours wind up? I don't see how it can't change from whitish to tan, even if it doesn't turn a dark brown the way you'd brown meat, for example. >Do not seal the jars. How come? - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Heidi- Should I try this in a regular gas oven, then? Or would that be a disaster in the making? >Also ... it is better if you do it INSIDE the stove. I did some >in a big roasting pan and just roasted it on a fairly low heat >(300 or so). Them most of the gases stay in the stove. Just >be REAL CAREFUL taking it out ... - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 > > >Should I try this in a regular gas oven, then? Or would that be a disaster >in the making? > >- I can't see why it would be a problem in a gas oven unless it gets too hot ... you REALLY don't want a grease fire. But I haven't had a gas oven for eons. Of course they used to do this over open flame and somehow survived. Handling hot grease is always tricky though. However, until all the water boils off, the grease shouldn't be much over boiling point of water. THEN it gets real hot, real quick, and if it caught on fire it would be a mess. Whether it would kill the gas line or not is a good question ... I'd think they have safety devices for that event. -- Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Mine changes color very little. I set the heat just high enough to melt the fat. I use a potato masher that is a handle on a round disk with small square holes in it to press the fat out of the matrix as it melts. My pan is about 2.5 to 3 inches deep. When it's about half full I strain the fat into pint canning jars. What's left I put back in the pan and keep pressing it with the masher until no more fat comes out. Then I strain the fat off and put the matrix in a bowl. I then wipe the pan clean and start over. So it never really gets hot enough to brown the matrix. When I first made tallow I left the matrix in the pan until it was taking up too much room then took it out. By leaving it that long the first had begun to turn brown. So I changed my method to that described above. I've found that when I sealed the jars after rendering, or kept the suet in a sealed plastic bag before rendering it grew hair. Since I've left it unsealed or just in the fridge in an open pan I've not had any grow hair. I didn't seal the jars while they were still at their hottest. If I had done so they may not have spoiled. Judith Alta -----Original Message----- From: Idol [mailto:Idol@...] Judith- >The matrix should never be >allowed to get brown. What color does yours wind up? I don't see how it can't change from whitish to tan, even if it doesn't turn a dark brown the way you'd brown meat, for example. >Do not seal the jars. How come? - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2004 Report Share Posted January 23, 2004 >I use a potato masher that is a handle on a round disk with small >square holes in it to press the fat out of the matrix as it melts. BTW one of the butchers I dealt with said they will run the fat through a meat grinder for a person, if you want. Grinding the fat first would probably make the rendering process go a lot faster (though you wouldn't get those nice cracklin's ... you'd probably have to run the melted lart through a sieve to get the little bits out) -- Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2004 Report Share Posted January 23, 2004 Heidi- I always grind lard first -- it seems to give me a much better yield, and results in much more even heating. I've also always run it through cheesecloth over a strainer, though. >Grinding the fat first would probably make the rendering >process go a lot faster (though you wouldn't get those >nice cracklin's ... you'd probably have to run the melted lart >through a sieve to get the little bits out) - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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