11 thoughts on “Manteca de Puerco Alert !!! – Got Lard?”

1. Did you know that you can make handmade soap with lard? My granny used to do it all the time!

2. I’ve got lard! I agree, lard is King, and butter is Queen! I get leaf lard (special fat from around the kidneys) from a local “hobby” farm when they slaughter a hog, then render it down and store it in jars in the freezer.
   People are so surprised when I tell them that lard is nearly 50% mono-unsaturated fatty acids, you know, the supposedly good stuff in olive oil. And lard is low in polyunsaturated fatty acids, the unstable fatty acids that go rancid easily and become toxic, especially at high heat or when exposed to light and oxygen (high PUFA intake is associated with cancer, btw) which is why is lard a great, stable and superior fat for cooking. Personally, I think it is the animal fat, including lard, in the “Mediterranean” diet that is so healthy, more than the olive oil that gets all the credit. Saturated fat got a bad rap due to some pretty shaky research, and is more likely neutral or even beneficial.
   Great to see someone else giving lard its due!

3. Rev,
   I make my own lard.

4. Look at the color of that stuff! The only lard I’ve seen is white.
   Anybody know where I can get flour tortillas made with lard? Can’t find ’em anymore.

5. You just have to fry some corn tortilla strips in lard to make your own killer chips. Refried beans are the bomb. Ms. Goofy craves lard.
   Hey Cookiecrumb, make your own. Lard,flour,water and salt. Thats it.

6. Hey BB,
   Yeah, actually. I’ve got some at home!
   Anna,
   Yes, thank you! Yay, I’m not the only one.
   Kevin,
   I make my own too, in fact there’s a post from years ago on here where I do exactly that. But I don’t have the time anymore and am picky where my lard comes from, so I go without. It was exciting to find high quality, fresh rendered lard 4 blocks from home.
   Cookie,
   Them theres is particulates & flavors! They just didn’t filter it enough to get out the goodies, fine with me. And, you’ll probably have to make your own lard tortillas. Even around here they’re tough to find. Most stores and taquerias all make corn tortillas, no lard there.
   Biggles

7. Thanks for this celebration of lard. You’re a lucky man! BTW, BB, you need more than lard to make soap, which (as I recall) requires lye or ashes or something else equally hard to find these days. Betcha Biggles could do it.
   I can almost taste flaky pastry made with lard, not only fruit pies but the crust for chicken pot pie. You may have driven me to bake something.

8. Lard is fabulous, but only from healthy, naturally-raised pigs. Just like most mammals, pigs accumulate toxins in their fat. Fat from industrially-raised, antibiotic-stuffed swine is toxic. Buy some good back fat from a local pig-farmer and learn to render your own lard- it’s not so hard and it tastes amazing!

9. Hey Rebecca,
   I do render my own lard, just lazy though.
   Biggles

10. Hey i am mexican, i was raised with manteca!!! whats the diference between manteca or lard,and deorodized lard? is there any. cause it just dont taste the same!!!!!, let me know and i give you a recipe with manteca that you guy are gonna love!
    thanks.

11. Well, Manteca is Spanish for lard, so there’s that. Am not familiar with deodorized lard, but from the name it means that the lard has no odor. Which for some people or recipes could very well be over powering. Depending on what pig or where pig the fat comes from, it could be very fragrant. The main thing is to stay away from the tubs of “lard” that you find in your local grocery store. It’s highly processed and not worth even mentioning. A good recipe for lard is to buy the best possible pork belly fat you can, then slowly render it just like it states above. Not much of a recipe is needed.
    Biggles