In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Do you make your own tallow or lard?

Discussion in 'The Smokehouse' started by JackHammer, Feb 22, 2021.

  1. JackHammer

    JackHammer

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    Every once and a while, we get a beef or hog for the house and I make tallow or lard out of the fat. I think it is pretty great. Perfect for my morning eggs and it is great for eating keto.

    I found that using a blender to grind up the fat makes it cook down much, much faster. Like 2 hours instead of 12.

    Anyone else?
     
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  2. stuckinthemuck

    stuckinthemuck

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    We save our bacon fat and reuse it to grease the griddle.. that’s about it.. haven’t looked into it any more than that..
     
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  3. Softwood

    Softwood

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    I don’t use it for eating/food purposes but I render down bear fat for conditioning/waterproofing leather. Never thought of blending it first, I just cut it into small chunks and throw it in the crock pot on low.
     
  4. JackHammer

    JackHammer

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    Yep! Exact same concept. People can use a crock pot or a big pot on the stove. I use a big old cast iron dutch oven. The rinds that float to the top are great.
     
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  5. JackHammer

    JackHammer

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    That sounds delicious. I had a disaster my first attempt. I had 7 pounds of pork fat and it took 12-16 hours in the crock pot. I did cut it up but it took an incredibly long time.
     
  6. jrider

    jrider

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    We used to make lard from our pigs. We always ran it all through the grinder first. Mom could never stand the smell of it in the house so eventually dad stopped making it all together.
     
  7. lukem

    lukem

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    I make lard from hogs we butcher. If you have a meat grinder use that before rendering....speeds things up a lot.
     
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  8. JackHammer

    JackHammer

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    I don't have a grinder but that makes more sense than using my blender. Will any old grinder work? I have a kitchen aid mixer and I think they have grinder attachments for that.
     
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  9. MikeInMa

    MikeInMa

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    This ^^^
     
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  10. lukem

    lukem

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    That would work fine. I'd use a food processor before a blender too. No make what you use put it in the freezer first.
     
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  11. JackHammer

    JackHammer

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    Put it in the freezer first? I thought lard and tallow were shelf stable at room temperature. I have mine in the refrigerator...

    ...maybe you are referring to chilling the meat before mincing it? I have done that in the past but I can't say I noticed a lot if difference, cold or frozen.
     
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  12. lukem

    lukem

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    Grinding it cold will help get coarser pieces vs slimy mush, especially when doing 100% fat.
     
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  13. JackHammer

    JackHammer

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    What else do you put in?
     
  14. Sirchopsalot

    Sirchopsalot

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    JackHammer
    Echoing the above. Chilling the leaf or belly fat before chopping makes for an easier process

    We do 20 or 30 pounds at a whack, so if the kitchen aide will hold up to the task, it will out perform the blender...for that much. The smaller it is chopped or cut, the faster it will render, and the more you'll get out. Chunks tend to Hold the fat, and they may not render easily or at all beyond a point. And, grinding means smaller more tender 'cracklins' once the rendering is done.

    We used a crock pot too...now we have a wood stove, we'll use that...with electric and gas costs sodomizing our bank account. Its a full day process, and I would not leave a bucket of fat on a wood stove un attended. But, it can be taken off and put on a cold back porch until there is time around the wood stove. Rendering here is now a winter job, will freeze the lard till wood stove weather.

    We pour the rendered lard through cheesecloth and canning funnel. Wide mouth jars of any sort seem best for serving/use. Rendered lard should be straight white. If its not iirc that means the hogs were not grass fed.

    Remdered lard can be frozen, but we have stored it in a cooler room or basement for many months (12+). Rendering removes water and humidity...making it shelf stable. It is fat however, it will go rancid eventually...particularly quickly if stored in a warm area. Used fairly cold, it will replace shortening in baked goods. We cook in it, season cast iron, and wherever else at the 'stead we can.

    When the rest of the world is running for the butter aisle...
    Like canning meat or veggies....nothing added. Don't want the finished product to alter the salt content (for example) of a recipe.

    Sca
     
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  15. lukem

    lukem

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    Nothing.
     
  16. JackHammer

    JackHammer

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    Thanks again for the meat grinder suggestion. I picked up a stainless steel grinder attachment. It looks good and I am looking forward to using it. :thumbs:
     
  17. Sandhillbilly

    Sandhillbilly

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    I did all the fat from my first bear a couple years ago. 1” chunks in the crockpot then into pint jars. Thought it turned out pretty good for my first attempt. Gave some to a couple friends that would appreciate it. Still have a couple jars in the fridge and it’s still fine. Mostly used it when I make hash browns.
     
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  18. BCB

    BCB

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    Keep your leaf lard and belly fat separate. Use the leaf lard for baking and the belly and other fat for cooking. The belly fat will leave a porky flavor if used for baking while the leaf lard doesnt.
     
  19. JackHammer

    JackHammer

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    So for a hog, I know there are different types- I can search this. But for a beef, is all the suet rendered into the same type of tallow?
     
  20. BCB

    BCB

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    Not sure about beef. I've only done hog. The leaf lard is the really white peel-able fat that surrounds the kidney area.
     
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