Lard was once America’s most popular cooking fat. Today there are many substitutes and alternatives on the market, but none perform as well as the original. Crisco, for example, has often been blamed for Lard’s decline in popularity. However, it is not as healthy as we led to believe, and the taste and overall waxy mouthfeel make it a poor substitute for Lard. Butter is a crowd pleaser, but is expensive and difficult to handle and manage at warmer temperatures.
Over the past 25 years there has been an ongoing debate over fat, and as a result there is a lot of confusion at the consumer level. What is, or is not, a healthy fat? Do fat substitutes and processed vegetable shortenings perform as well, or taste as good as the original? Below we attempt to answer some of these questions, and hope to shed some light on why everyone from the home cook to the high-end chef should return to Lard.
links & resources:
Article: How to Stock a Mexican Pantry : 14 Ingredients to Know and Love by Lesley Tellez @ Serious Eats
Video: Alton: The Virtues of Pork Fat From Iron Chef America @ http://www.foodnetwork.com
Article: Should You Be Eating Lard? by Kasandra Brabaw @ Prevention.com
Article: 10 Reasons to Bring Lard Back @ Empowered Sustenance
Recipes: Lard Recipes & Menu Ideas @ bonappetit.com
Article: The Real Thing by Matthew Amster-Burton @ The Seattle Times
Article: Light, Fluffy: Believe It, It’s Not Butter by Matt Lee and Ted Lee @ The New York Times
Article: 10 Reasons You Should Be Cooking with Lard by Julie R. Thomson @ huffpost.com
Article: Don’t be scared of lard: It has less saturated fat than butter by Lynne Rossetto Kasper @ Splendid Table
Article: Lard: A Health Food That Will Shock You by Kelley Herring @ Healing Gourmet
Book: The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet by
Nina Teicholz
Video: Why Lard Is Making a Comeback Dr. Oz @ http://www.doctoroz.com
Article: Lardcore: Southern Food with Hard-Core Attitude by Josh Ozersky @ TIME
Article: Pork Fat Is Officially One Of The World’s Most Nutritious Foods by Jean Jacobs @ elitereaders.com
Article: Lard: The New Health Food? by Pete Wells @ Food & Wine