The Truth about Lard

This is lard:

This may not be the lard your use to seeing. The lard most of us see is the kind we get in the store. Its pure white and usually hard until you heat it up. That lard is full of stabilizers and trans fats to make sure it doesn't spoil and can be stored at room temperature without melting. That is the lard that has given lard a bad rap for being un-healthy and causing heart disease and obesity.

The lard I used was fresh lard, and it will go bad in one week if not used. It will get soft and gooey at room temperature and it isn't as bad for you as a you might think. Lard has half the cholesterol of butter and one third of the saturated fat.

It makes amazing cookies, pie crust and tortillas! So next time a recipe calls for lard. Don't flinch with disgust and dread. Don't let images of EKG's and cardiac episodes fill your brain. Instead consider as you would any other fat a recipe calls for. Be sure to get the fresh lard from your local butcher or meat market.

Stay the hell away from that Snow Cap or Monteca crap on the store shelves!