Lardo, or pork butter, is an awesome alternative to butter. using this basic recipe, you can make any number of flavored versions. The first recipe listed here makes a salty, savory, and sweet version that’s perfect for bread or grilled vegetables. Recipes for black truffle honey butter and pepperoni-pizza lardo follow.
5lbs. Pork Fat; any type, hard or soft, including lard or skin
1c. Dry White Wine
1c. Water
5 Cloves Garlic
1 Fresh Bay Leaf
2 Sprigs Thyme
Salty/Savory/Sweet Version 1 Tbsp. Green Curry 1 Tbsp. Sugar 1 Tbsp. Lime Juice 1 tsp. Chopped Garlic 2 Tbsp. Fish Sauce 1 tsp. Coarse Sea Salt or Fleur de Sel
Black Truffle Honey Butter 1 Tbsp. Rosemary, chopped 1 Tbsp. Honey 2 Tbsp. Fresh Black Truffles, chopped
Pepperoni Pizza Flavored 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika 1 tsp. Red Chili Flakes 1 tsp. Granulated Garlic 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper 1 tsp. Olive Oil 1 tsp. Sea Salt
Instructions
Preparing The Pork Fat
Cut the pork fat into 1-inch pieces. Use a crockpot or a very heavy-bottomed Dutch oven with a lid. Put everything in the pot.
If using a crockpot, cook 2 hours on high followed by 2 hours on low. If using a Dutch oven, cook on low, stirring every 10-15 minutes for 3 to 4 hours.
Once the pork fat is cooked, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Place it in a casserole dish, press with a 3-4 lb. weight and cool until it’s firm like butter.
Salty/Savory/Sweet Version
Put 2 cups of the prepared fat in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and add green curry, sugar, line juice, garlic, and fish sauce. Cream until it resembles whipped butter, then transfer it to a dish until ready for serving.
Serve on grilled bread with fleur de sel.
(Reserve the other 2 cups of the prepared pork fat for use in confit or other uses.)
Black Truffle Honey Butter
Once the pork fat is firm, put 2 cups in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and add 1 Tbsp. chopped rosemary, 1 Tbsp. honey, and 2 Tbsp. fresh, chopped black truffles. Cream until it’s the consistency of whipped butter and transfer it to a dish for serving.
Pepperoni-Pizza-Flavored Once the pork fat is firm, put 2 cups in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and add 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika, 1 tsp. red chili flakes, 1 tsp. granulated garlic, 1 tsp. ground black pepper, 1 tsp. olive oil, and 1 tsp. sea salt. Cream until it’s the consistency of whipped butter and transfer it to a dish for serving.
This butter can be refrigerated in plastic wrap for up to 6 months.
Notes
Information contained within is an excerpt from The New Charcuterie Cookbook by Jamie Bissonnette. Purchase the book here.
Lardo, or pork butter, is an awesome alternative to butter. using this basic recipe, you can make any number of flavored versions. The first recipe listed here makes a salty, savory, and sweet version that's perfect for bread or grilled vegetables....
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"Fat is flavor! Repeat after me, FAT IS FLAVOR!" This is the mantra we heard from chef Brian Polcyn at a class long ago. And he was, of course, right! There are few better ways to use lard than to fry things. Especially in the fall, there are few things...
Similar to the pig butter recipe, yet this is made from cured back fat. Since this is cured instead of cooked (like the pig butter) it will not be as fluffy as rendered fat.
This is the mantra we heard from chef Brian Polcyn at a class long ago. And he was, of course, right!
There are few better ways to use lard than to fry things. Especially in the fall, there are few things yummier to fry than donuts. Lard is especially suited to frying because of it’s high smoke point and tolerance for heat. Rancidity and breaking down into free radicals is an issue with plant fats, some more than others, of course. But not so with pigs bred and raised for good quality fat. The less corn and soy your pigs eat, the cleaner and better quality the fat will be. Lard also gives fried foods a nice, clean, crisp taste. That’s especially true if it’s lard from a heritage, lard type pig like the Mangalitsa.
This is one of our favorite recipes, especially in the fall!
Ingredients
UnitsScale
4 Egg Yolks (or 2 whole eggs)
1c. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Soft Shortening (butter, oil, softened lard or tallow)
3/4c. Thick Buttermilk or Sour Milk*
3 1/2c. Wheat Flour (White or Whole)
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Cloves (optional)
2 tsp. Vanilla (optional, may use instead of spices)
Instructions
Create The Dough
Thoroughly beat the 4 egg yolks (or 2 whole eggs)
Beat in sugar and soft shortening
Stir in thick buttermilk or sour milk (or regular milk if you do not have either)
Sift together dry ingredients and stir into the wet ingredients until smooth (leaving out the baking soda if using regular milk)
Frying
Melt fat in a heavy kettle or deep fat fryer. You’ll need about 3-4 inches of fat in the pan. Heat to 390º F while you roll out the dough. The fat will drop slightly in temperature when you add the donuts. If it gets too cool, you’ll have greasy donuts. If it gets too hot, the dough will brown too much on the outside before cooking on the inside.
Turn the dough out onto a floured board or counter top. Roll out gently to 1/4″ thick. Cut with a floured sharp donut or biscuit cutter. You can cut a hole with a smaller cutter for donut holes, or just pinch a hole into the center of the donut.
Slide the donuts individually gently into the hot fat using a spatula. Get as many in the pan as will fit at a time.
When the donuts rise to the surface and are lightly browned underneath, turn them over. Fry about 3 minutes until completely browned on both sides.
Lift the donuts from the fat with a long fork or slotted spatula or spoon. Let it drain for a couple seconds over the pan, then place on absorbent paper.
Finishing
There are several ways to finish your fried dough cakes, depending on your tastes:
Enjoy it as is! Dunk it in your coffee, hot chocolate, or spiced cider.
Powdered: Roll it in powdered sugar when you remove it from the fat.
Cinnamon sugar crusted: Roll it in cinnamon sugar (you can make it at home, exactly as it sounds: just mix sugar with a bit of cinnamon to taste) when you remove it from the fat.
Frosted: when the donuts cool, apply your favorite frosting.
Glazed: Add 1/3 cp. boiling water gradually to 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Mix well. Dip warm donuts into the warm glaze.
Notes
*If you don’t have buttermilk or sour milk, simply use your regular milk and leave out the baking soda.
You can make a simple hack with the spices by simply using “pumpkin pie spice” in place of all the individual spices.
Go GLUTEN FREE! You can replace the wheat flour with alternative flours, just know the texture will change a bit, too. For a donut dough that sticks together a bit better, add a little extra corn starch, tapioca flour, or arrowroot powder.
You can add in garlic, a quarter cup of parmesan cheese, parsley, chives, or any other herbs you’d like to make these dumplings more flavorful depending on what dish it will accompany! Go ahead, get creative!
Ingredients
UnitsScale
1 1/2cups Flour; sifted
2 tsp. Baking Powder
3/4 tsp. Salt
3 Tbsp. Shortening; lard, tallow, or butter will work
3/4cup Milk
Instructions
To Prepare the Dough:
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
Cut in the shortening.
Stir in the milk until just combined.
Finish:
Drop dough by the spoonful into pot overtop of the meat stock (not into straight liquid.)
Cook 10 minutes uncovered and them another 10 minutes covered with tightly fitted lid.
Remove dumplings first, set aside.
Ladle stew or soup into bowls then place dumplings on top.
Serve.
Notes
Recipe comes from the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook and can be purchased here: get book.
Similar to the pig butter recipe, yet this is made from cured back fat. Since this is cured instead of cooked (like the pig butter) it will not be as fluffy as rendered fat.
This is a dense spread infused with herbs and whatever aromatics you desire to incorporate! Will go amazingly with additions like pesto or even those splurging on truffle oil!
Preparing your lardo:
1. Grind the lardo through a 1/8″ (3 ml.) die
To prepare the spread:
1. Transfer the ground lardo to a food processor.
2. Add in the ricotta and garlic.
3. Puree until smooth
Finish:
1. Place puree into a serving bowl (if serving immediately, if not, place into an airtight container.)
2. Fold in the remaining herbs and season with salt & pepper to taste.
If using previously rendered fat, remove this from the fridge the night before to allow it to come to room temperature. The fat should still hold it’s shape yet be spreadable.
Melt 2 Tbsp. of the softened fat in a sauté pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until soft but colorless (no browning at all.)
Allow onion and fat mixture to cool completely to room temperature.
Place the remaining softened, room temperature fat into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment.
Mix at high speed until fluffy and holds a stiff peak (typically 5-8 minutes.)
Remove from mixer and gently fold in the cooled onion and herbs by hand.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Uses for extra rendered fat: pastry dough!
For help on how to render pig fat, visit:
This is an excerpt from Pâté, Confit, Rillette by Brian Polcyn with Michael Ruhlman
