Leaf Lard?

[Marianne]

I had to hunt the forum to see where I had asked about leaf lard, found it under the financial links, so I thought I'd post it here.

Leaf lard is the kidney fat. It is super fine, has no tissue binding it, and has always been prized for making pastries.

Excuse me for a moment...eeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkk (picture chubby middleaged woman running around the room with hands in the air).

Okay, I never was around butchering, etc as a kid. When my dad hunted and they were hacking away at the deer or elk carcass on the picnic table, I was always banished to the house. So I get a little freaked out about these things. Obviously it's good stuff from what you said, but I'll probably always make lousy pastries.

Bubblingbrooks, you have some amazing skills and knowledge, as do a lot of people on this forum. How many other people make leaf lard? Is it hard or time consuming to do? Is there that much fat on a critter kidney? What types of critters?

 

[freemotion]

I make all my own lard and tallow. It is the only way I can get the good stuff. If you are not butchering anything, you can buy leaf lard from a butcher and render it. It is really, really easy! I just did 12 half-pints for pies, and have a couple dozen pints of trim lard, too.

I also have a few pounds of tallow rendered from beef suet. I use this for frying and also for soapmaking. I get it in the grocery store...it is sold for birdfeeding in the meat section.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

*hops and and down *

me! me! me!

here's a quick look at how to - its easy as pie
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-render-lard.html

and leaf lard makes the best pie crust - heck.. the best pastries! i used it in a recent coffee cake - and yes, like Free, i use it for cookies and everything!

and yes from a big ol' pig you get a lot of lard.. its lovely. the leaf lard is different than the regular old fat. its looks different and has a smooth and creamy appearance after rendering and cooling.

(hey Free!)

 

[Marianne]

I keep typing, deleting, typing, deleting...

I will check our local country store to see if they have it or can get it, how much $. Then I'm going to have to wrap my mind around it for a while.

Thanks for directing me to your blog for instructions, ohiofarmgirl.
The pictures really help, too.

 

[rebecca100]

I have been a member of here for 2 years. I had never heard of leaf lard. Sheesh! Just when you think you know it all........
I hope you know you guys depress me! LOL

 

[so lucky]

Making lard is one of the many things on my "now that I'm retired" to-do list. I thought I found some good healthy non-hydregenated lard at a local small grocery store, but upon checking the ingredients, I found that it has BHA and BHT in it. Darn!

 

[ORChick]

I find that the easiest way for me to render the fat is in a slow cooker set on *LO*. And I put it all through the meat grinder before rendering.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Marriane, The first summer we lived in our "new" home, we dispatched a huge, old sow bear that the previous owners had been illegally feeding every summer for years.
She was exceptionally large, and being that it was the middle of the summer, was also very fat.
I do not remember how much leaf lard we got off her, but, the actual body fat filled a large cooler.
I got 3 gallons of finished lard off her.

Now, I call it lard, because bears are considered to be very similar to pigs.
The fat is almost the same.
If it had been a cow or deer, it would be tallow.

Oh, and Ruminants do not usually have leaf lard on them

 

[Boogity]

You guys are amazing! Thank you soooo much for the wonderful education. And on so many topics. You folks are great.

Hmmmm Leaf Lard . . . whoda thunk it?

 

[Neko-chan]

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