Baking Lard, Cooking Lard and Cracklins

Part of our mission as a farm is to utilize as much of the animal as we can when we harvest. This means the much sought after leaf lard gets rendered into baking lard and extra backfat is rendered into a sustainable, locally made cooking oil. And….. when you make baking lard, you get these awesome things called cracklins:)

So what do you do with all these goodies?????

First off - everything you get from us you’ll want to toss in the fridge.

Baking Lard Baking lard is rendered from the lead lard, the fat that protects the kidney region of the pig. For generations this lard has been prized for it’s ability to make mouthwatering baked goods. Most bakers recommend using lard in a one to one ratio with butter in recipes. Have fun trolling through all the online discussion boards that argue the exact ratio to use in baked goods!!!

Cooking Lard This is one of The Piggery’s proudest contributions to the local food movement. In our farm’s commercial kitchen we render extra backfat into a locally produced cooking oil. Use it to brown onions, cook veggies, or any way that you would use olive oil. Also - this cooking lard makes the most amazing fry potatoes - extra crispy, but not greasy. Warm some up in your cast iron or frying pan, add potatoes, and fry until crispy. You can strain the oil back into an bowl and save for another use… Sooooooo tasty!

Last but not least….

Cracklins!!! These little treasures are produced when creating baking lard from leaf lard. What do you do with them??? Popularized in the South, they are often used in something called Crackin’ Bread.

We personally like to warm them in the oven (they’re ready to eat in the container, but not very tasty cold), then sprinkle them with hot sauce and a squirt of lime. Mmmmmm…

Many of our farmers’ stand customers place the cracklins on a cookie sheet and warm them in the oven until warm & crispy. I’ve also been told they place them in a toaster oven for the same effect. You could also try pan frying them…..

Additionally they add great flavor to bean dishes, greens and more. If you have any recipes to share, we’d love to hear about them!