For Love of... Lard

Oh, my dearest lard,

I've become so lovestruck

That I think I'm a bard,

Though my poetry sucks.  Hard.

Yep.  That's how much I love lard.  

Just be glad I didn't record myself singing that atrocious rhyme!

I even had a brief conversation about it on facebook with a reader who wasn't sure why lard was a staple ingredient in my household.  Subliminally, I knew I should have mentioned why it plays such an integral role in my home, but I ignored instinct, and mentioned nothing in the post we were refering to.

I should have known better.

Why?

Well, because I used to think lard was bad for you.  I used to happily use vegetable shortening in recipes, thinking it was a healthy choice.  It's not.

But if I thought these things at one point, it stands to reason that I'm not alone...

So, let's talk about lard.

I consider it to be absolutely indispensable. 

Lard...

• can be used in place of oil.

You can grease a pan with it, and it works far better than any cooking spray.  You can heat it up and use it in recipes that require cooking oil.  And heck, with that in mind, lard...

• can be used in place of butter.

Yep.  I've totally had to do that, on occasion. If you run out of butter for a recipe, just pull out the lard, which, conveniently...

• is cheap.  Really, really cheap.

 I paid less than two dollars for one pound of lard, and one pound goes a very long way.  How long of a way?  Well, I use half a teaspoon of lard to grease a 9x13 pan. One pound of lard comes out to 35 tablespoons, and one tablespoon is equal to four teaspoons.

That means I can grease 280+ pans for less than two dollars.

Take that, cooking spray!!!

Another thing to point out is that cooking with lard is rather healthy.

Lard contains omega fatty acids, and if it's pastured lard, it contains vitamin D, as well. 'Pastured' means raised on pastures, rather than the industrial Big Ag stuff, by the way.

Lard is also high in oleic acids.  Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat.  They lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and help decrease your risk of cancer.  Seriously.  Just ask the people at Rodale.

Score!!!

Now go start cooking with lard.  Because it's healthy.  Because it's cheap.

Because I love it!

... and you should, too!

***well, unless you're vegetarian.  In that case, feel free to smile indulgently and carry on.