Tenderflake Lard

[RobD]

Hi all. I have been reading about the greatness of lard as a cooking fat and have found that Tenderflake Lard, maid in Canada, seems to be the only lard commercially available that is not hydrogenated. I have done numerous searches on the web looking for a place to buy some and have only found one site in Florida that offers it. The problem is that the site has a $30 min for Internet orders. At about $2.50 a brick(450g) that equates to a hole lot a lard. Does anyone here have a source for this porcine product that does not require buying a bucket full just to give it a try?

[Gaelen]

You might try your local farmer's market, and ask the people who sell dairy, cheeses, etc.

[cmcole]

http://www.mapleleaf.com/ConsumerProducts/AllOtherBrands/OpenProd.aspx?ID=33%20%20

Anyone who distributes Maple Leaf Products (if any do in your area) may be able to order it in for you.

[Missy]

Or Amish area near you??

[Belfrybat]

I'm currently using Hormel Brand -- it's contains fully hydronated lard, so there's no transfats. It's partially hydronated you have to avoid like the plague. There's nothing like lard to make baked good tender and fried foods crispy. Frankly, I don't know why lard is hydronated at all as it is solid at 70 F. Here in Texas I have to refrigerate it anyway in the summer as it still melts.

[RobD]

Thanks for the replies. I have looked in every grocery store chain here in Northern Nevada for lard and all you can find is Crisco vegetable shorting. As for the Hormel brand I thought it was not good as it was hydrogenated, maybe I was misinformed but I have not seen any of that either. It seems that lard is not a big seller here. It is possible that I could find it a Hispanic grocery store but I don’t know were one of those is around here.

[Missy]

What about a co-op natural food store...or a food/health food store?

[RobD]

Missy,
We have a Wild Oats and Trader Joes here in town. They don't seem to think lard is a health or natural food. :rolleyes:

[Mitra]

If you have a cooperative butcher (or a meat stall at a farmers market) they might be able to sell you some pork fat. I sometimes use "back fat" which is the slab of fat that runs round the outside of pork shoulder, or pork loin cuts. You can render it to make your own lard, then you'll know exactly what's in it. If your lard consumption isn't too high, this might get you enough.

Otherwise, coconut oil, beef dripping (collected when you cook beef) or clarified butter are all great cooking fats, too.

[RobD]

Mitra,
The Farmers market is closed for the winter here, maybe I will check it out next season.

[Missy]

YEAH! that's all lard is is boiled fat rendered off! As a kid I watched.helped my family butcher pigs....(sounds gross I know, but it was a great learning experience) and they would render the fat off in huge copper kettles over a wood fire...and make cracklins...and get buckets and buckets of lard off it!

I'm wondering about a pig farmer? Or a farmer co-op that could get you in touch with such a place? Or talk to a meat house butcher...I'm sure he could get you back fat...if you want to go to the trouble?

[BeccainSC]

I wouldn't have a clue where to buy lard. I do remember my mom having a metal container she kept next to the stove that she collected bacon drippings and whatnot in and reused for cooking. If I could find a container I might start that, but given that we only have bacon about once a month would take a very long time to collect it I s'pose.

Wouldn't that just freak my fat-phobic ILs out.... they're upset enough that I use real butter!

'becca

[LisaS]

we always had a bacon drippings can too - usually in the freezer in between uses. mmm, swedish pancakes cooked in bacon drippings - my childhood Sat AM breakfasts -

[RobD]

My mom also kept the bacon drippings in a jar. Eggs over easy cooked in bacon drippings was my fav breakfast growing up.

[RobD]

Well I may have found something. It is called Handmade Brand Lard and Amazon.com is selling it. Comes in a 2 lb bucket and says it is 100% pure rendered hog fat. It is $4.00 plus $5.99 shiping(ouch). I will update with a product review after I get it and try it out.

Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/handmade-brand-Handmade-Brand-Lard/dp/B000KMXVT0/sr=1-5/qid=1164149145/ref=sr_1_5/002-9484487-9533623?ie=UTF8&s=gourmet-food

It seems they also sell Craklins Cakes. Sounds yummy

[Mitra]

Sounds worth a try - though getting heavy, low value items shipped is always painful :(. Let us know if it's any good.

[Belfrybat]

Have you thought about using tallow instead? I get beef fat from the butcher free of charge or ground for 15 cents a pound. I make soap, but it also makes a great cooking fat. I prefer using the ground: put 2 inches of water in a large heavy pot. Add as much ground beef fat as comes to within 2" of the top of the pan. Cook on low heat until fat is melted without browning the leftover pieces. Strain. Fill pot about a third full of water, add melted fat and heat for a few minutes. Let cool until fat is solid, then spoon off and store. By using low heat throughout, you end up with a nice white tallow without any off flavours.

[cmcole]

Thank you for the information, B-C. I just may try that sometime soon. Hey, I could even use my new meat grinder to grind it up first!!

[hawk]

What about butter with no salt? If you are making a pie crust it seems to work well. It may last you till spring when the market opens back up.

[Mitra]

If you want to use it for higher temperature cooking, like sauteeing, then it works best if you use clarified butter, so that it won't burn.

To make clarified butter, just put unsalted butter in a saucepan, and heat it fairly gently until the foaming subsides and the solids start to settle out. Then strain it and it will keep for months without needing to be refrigerated (if your kitchen is warm it will be liquid, but that doesn't matter). I tend to overcook mine slightly so that the solids are slightly browned, which gives it a sweet, nutty smell.

[Bangs]

*bump*

Rob, have you tried the Handmade Lard yet?

[RobD]

Finally getting around to writing up that review I promised. The lard showed up about a week after it was ordered. It was shipped by USPS and came in two 1lb tubs. The tubs were real cheep throw away plastic type and one was partially unsealed upon opening the box. Only a little of the lard escaped the tub into the packing material. The lard seems well rendered(just guessing as I have never bought lard before) and when tasted has a very slight pork flavor. The wife and I have used it to fry eggs and they turn out very tasty, better then butter if you ask me and the kids like them also. We were having grilled ham and cheese sandwiches(made with low-carb bread) so I asked my wife make one grilled with butter and one grilled with lard. The one grilled in lard was just as good as the one in butter. Other then eggs we have not had a chance to use it for anything else and it looks like 2lbs will last us quite a while.

[kaycca]

I lived in Canada and discovered Tenderflake Lard while there. IT IS THE BEST POSSIBLE PRODUCT FOR MAKING PIE CRUST! I would love to know where you found the web site to order it. I no longer make the annual trip back to Canada to "stock up" and it is hard for my in-laws to ship at their age.

Believe me, it is worth the $ plus, it keeps in the frig or freezer for a very long time!

Enjoy!

[ksasieta]

Tenderflake is available online: http://www.canadianfavourites.com/Maple_Leaf_Tenderflake_Pure_Lard_p/mapleleaf001.htm