"lard" news and stories

Nicole mentioned the Independent article concerning the decline of jam in popularity in the UK. (And thanks also to EatingLeeds for the heads-up). This has been put down to a more health conscious consumer (OK, it is full of sugar but it tastes great!) and the ending of 'afternoon tea'. Personally I don't know anyone who has afternoon tea anymore - apart from tourists in posh hotels.

But the rest of the Indies article I found more interesting as it continues my post of declining 'traditional' food items in the UK. Salad Cream was saved from the culinary history books by a combination of national press pressure and consumer demand a few years ago but sales are still low in comparison to its 1970's highs. Heinz, incidentally, have introduced an Extra Light version to pander to the health lobby. Personally I prefer mayonnaise.

But then we get to products that I couldn't eat unless you paid me a huge amount of cash - tripe (oh, god no!), jellied eels (I'll really have to pass on those thanks) and lard. Now lard I do believe has a place in everyones kitchen despite its high cholesterol and fat content. It is all in the flavour after-all.

While I am a great fan of the UK's traditional dishes I won't miss the demise of tripe or jellied eels.

Source

Derrick, from Obsession with Food, saw that there was an important instructional gap missing from the internet and set about to fill it. He created a photo-illustrated, step-by-step guide to rendering lard. He tells you how much to pay for it, what kind to get and exactly what it looks like at key points in the process. There are also plenty of ideas for what to do with it when you're done, from french fries to flakey pie crusts. It will take you a while to make it, but it keeps for months in the freezer and, unlike many shelf-stable brands at grocery stores, contains no partially hydrogenated oils. Lard also has approximately the same fat and calorie content as butter, so it is an alternative when preparing savory dishes.

Source