Lard vs. beef fat

[jenniepaige]

Ok,,,so I am attempting to take baby steps into cooking with animal fat. But I don't really get the difference between lard (pork) or just plain rendered fat (beef). Do they have a taste? Which is better? This is so far out of my comfort zone but I want to give it a try.

Any information would be most helpful. Thanks.

[bignerpie]

If you'll be using it to fry/saute foods, definitely go with lard. And if you are not used to eating foods cooked with animal fats, definitely go with lard. Yes, they both do have a taste. I would describe lard as a "cleaner" flavor. Beef fat can be bitter. And lard is much more expensive. How do you plan on using it?

[cristeen]

There is both a taste and texture difference. Lard is neutral flavored, whereas tallow tends to taste fairly beefy. Lard can be used for sweet or savory applications, but id never try to use tallow in a sweet dish.

Be careful buying lard. You can sometimes find it fresh from Mexican grocery stores/delis that make their own chicharrones. But if you buy it premade, be sure it's not hydrogenated.

[jenniepaige]

thanks for the reply. I'm not exactly sure how I plan on using it. I guess for stir fry, general cooking, and dare I say a pie crust! I can get locally made by an Amish farm that I trust for $5/lb. Is that good?

Any other tips on how to use it? Do I use it like butter/CO in terms of quantity? Thanks!!

[bignerpie]

I grew up on a farm where everything was cooked in lard, even the bacon and sausage!* Go for the pie crust, and try some biscuits, too. Once a year we made a type of pastry, something like a doughnut, fried in lard. So yummy! Now, when it comes to making things like brownies or cookies, I still use butter or coconut oil. Sometimes I cook eggs in lard, sometimes I use coconut oil. Depends on my mood, I guess. The Amish lard is probably going to be the best quality, so I say go for it! *I just want to note that my grandparents are in their late 70s, still live on the farm, and cook mostly with animal fats, and neither of them has heart or cholesterol problems. They are both quite healthy!

[7thDaughter]

A related question: Last summer I rendered 5 lbs of lard from a local farmer. My first try. I melted it down and poured off the fat into 1/3 cup measures, and threw the chitlin's out for the crows.   My resulting lard is pretty, white, and makes a pretty good pie crust.  However, I can still smell the smell of animal fat.  I thought when it was rendered it would be pretty much odor free.  I wonder if I should have taken only the clear fat at the top of the pot?  Any advice?  I can only use my lard for making quiche and things like meat pies.  Help!

[krankedyann]

Tallow has a higher smoke point than lard, by about 50 degrees.  Tallow is superior for frying potatoes, like french fries.  It requires high heat that will make lard begin to break down and smoke.  Lard is good for things fried below 340 degrees.

Lard is great for crusts and biscuits.

[jenniepaige]

Originally Posted by krankedyann 

Tallow has a higher smoke point than lard, by about 50 degrees.  Tallow is superior for frying potatoes, like french fries.  It requires high heat that will make lard begin to break down and smoke.  Lard is good for things fried below 340 degrees.

Lard is great for crusts and biscuits.

Oh what a good tip. I will have to try the tallow in the summer for making french fries. I HATE using canola oil but it's been hard finding a replacement. I was also going to try palm oil from Tropical Traditions So I shouldn't use the lard to bake anything if it needs to go above 340 then?

[krankedyann]

Well, if you bake something at 350 degrees, theoretically it will never reach 350.  Think about how long you bake a whole chicken in order for it to hit 160 degrees.  An hour to an hour and a half.  So it's ok to bake things at higher temps than the smoke point of the oil it contains, as long as the item doesn't hit the temp of the smoke point.  Use a probe thermometer if you're concerned.

[jenniepaige]

Oh, of course. That makes perfect sense. Thanks!

[Magelet]

Lard will still smell lardy. It's not as strong as beef fat, but it definitely has a smell. (I don't eat pork, and the smell really grosses me out after nearly a decade of not eating it, so when we melt down lard at work, I can really smell it.  I'm sure it's not at all offense to pork eaters, but it does have a smell.)

[7thDaughter]

Thanks Magelet. So I can use my lardy-smelling lard to make pie crusts and it won't ruin fruit pies?   I've only used it for quiche so far, been afraid to try it on blueberries or apple. 

[serenbat]

lard is GREAT for fruit pies  

[martaluna]

I just got some lard from Amish farm and it works fine for frying, however I really dislike the smell. I don't have any problems with pork, but I find the taste really off-putting. I guess you need to try by yourself though. I will try tallow next time.