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10:59 pm
December 5, 2010
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I need help! I'm trying to cook more heart-healthy for me and my family but I've run into trouble with pie crust. Shortening is what I've used for years. Now I learn it isn't healthy. What do I substitute?? Butter isn't appropriate for all recipes, so do I turn to lard? If so, where do I get good lard? All I'm finding in my grocery store is equally an hydrogenated lard product.
Please help!
4:01 am
February 10, 2009
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It may take some hunting to find good non-hydrogenated lard, but worth it IMO. Call around to any butcher shops near you, or just go to your local grocery and request they order you some. May take some effort because so many people think that lard is lard.
Also, there's been some studies about just how bad for you Lard is and it seems it's not as terrible as we've been told though not really ok to go crazy with it Now don't get me wrong ot saying it's ok to eat a whole ton at a time, but a piece of pie is probably not THAT horrible.
7:02 am
October 17, 2008
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Or you could render your own lard if you can find a fat supply! It's wonderful stuff!
Here's the link to Suzanne's blog post http://chickensintheroad.com/c…..-own-lard/
7:44 am
March 2, 2011
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I agree with Buckeye Girl–try local butcher shops. That's where my lard comes from (pre-rendered but non-hydrogenated). I am hoping to raise my own pig and render my own lard next year–thanks, Suzanne, for showing me how!
I usually make pie crust with lard nowadays–really like the consistency (easy to work with) and the flavor.
Good luck!
7:58 am
August 30, 2008
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I have been making Ghee from unsalted butter in my crock pot. I have been using Suzanne's "no fail" pie crust recipe and using a half lard, half ghee combination. It is fantastic and, I am sure much healthier than veg. shortening. I have read that many people use ghee alone in the pie crust….
5:31 pm
December 14, 2010
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If you can get fresh pork shoulder butts you will find that they have quite a bit of fat on them. Also if there is a slaughter house nearby they can sell you fat trimming. Most of the companies that make and supply sausage locally also sell lard of their own making ask in your local super market. I often buy chicken leg quarters for the meat that i freeze and the fatty backs portions that I roast to render the fat and then cook for the stock. There is considerable fat on a chicken back. Poultry fat melts at room temperature so you need to refrigerate it before you try to make pie crust with it.
5:37 pm
May 18, 2010
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I use shortening for all 
of my pie crusts. Lard is much worse for you than shortening IMO. I also can't stand the taste or texture of lard.
5:42 pm
December 14, 2010
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DarleneS, How do you like roast pork?
6:57 pm
May 5, 2010
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Oh my, I'm so in Emril Lagasse's camp of "pork fat RULES!" I have heard that Crisco has taken steps to create the "green can", a non-hydrogenated, no trans-fat, vegetable shortening. But, since I ran away from using Crisco, I haven't tried the remade version of the trans-fat bad boy. Since we're coming up on the holiday season and some of my cookies must have some shortening to behave (not spread), I may give the green can a try. Although I have considered experimenting with coconut oil since its reputation has improved considerably (really good for stir-frying over high heat). Refined coconut oil has less of the coconut flavor and zero trans fat. I would do lard regularly, but the non-hydrogenated is hard to come by.
I had never thought of saving the fat trimmings from pork roasts to render into lard … or even skimming the chicken fat for later. That reminds me that my aunt, who converted to Judiasm when she married, said potato pancakes fried in schmaltz (chicken fat) was absolute heaven. I'm now thinking that the next time I make chicken 'n dumplings, I'm using the chicken fat in the dumpling batter. Mostly I use saved bacon fat which brings me back to: pork fat RULES!
7:48 pm
February 22, 2010
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I know what THEY say about lard…but I also know a LOT of people who lived good health into their 90's who never cooked with anything but lard. To me that hydrogenated stuff is kind of like maragine, why eat margarine when you can eat butter.
I still say it's not what you eat but the amount you eat and the energy you expend that uses up the calories! Just sayin'
. But I don't have a medical degree nor am I a nutritionist.
8:00 pm
February 22, 2010
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My Hubby's Aunt Agnes makes a delicious pie crust from canola oil. I would think that would be fairly heart healthy.
8:27 pm
February 10, 2009
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Here's what I consider a reasonable article about Lard, pro and con. I think it's not nearly as evil as it was once thought as long as you don't go hog wild with it. (pun intended! 
) Considering the amount in a pie crust, as long as you don't eat half a pie every day, I happen to think that it's worth using since the crust is so much better IMO. (yeah yeah, I know what they say about opinions too!)
http://www.livestrong.com/arti…..rd-healthy
I also occasionally fry french fries in lard, SO yummy. Remember I said occasionally? Like maybe twice a year!
Oh and really good lard that is not hydrogenated and made from the leaf fat is essentially tasteless, if you can find a good source that's the way to go! The stuff in most grocery stores is lower quality so it may have some taste and texture issues, I'm not sure if it's because it's poor quality or because it's almost always hydrogenated. Maybe ok for frying, but not so great for pastry… though I don't like that hydrogenated process which changes the structure and qualities.
In general, I think it's like everything else, ok in moderation… and only in recipes that are really improved by it (like pie crust!). I use canola oil a lot, and cocoanut oil a little, olive oil a lot, and also butter (NEVER margarine! yuck!)… shortening only in certain cookie recipes when necessary. Now, all those 'a lots' aren't really all that often, and I do my best to be careful how much and how often. Still fat is necessary in our diets and I use what suits a recipe best and then eat what I want in moderation.
Also, I'm pretty active, and my cholesterol numbers are good, and my dad who's nearly 93 now IS on cholesterol medicine, but his numbers are good now and have improved since I've been cooking for him. His cholesterol meds have actually been reduced too, mostly I think because I've got him being more active, and eating out less. Reduced sugar, whole grains, moderate carbs, moderate fats, reasonable serving size… we all know the drill!
9:24 pm
December 14, 2010
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This is not an endorsement or a condemnation of any fat type BUT…… I had some sort of veggie oil in a plastic bottle and after some unknown passage of time I found the bottle greatly distorted and leaking a bit. I decided to not use any of it and told my pharmacist about it and she also recommended that it may not be good food.
If you survey the TV cooking show hosts you will find that most consider goose fat to be the gold standard of fat for taste and texture. Chicken fat is a poor second and pork fat is so versitile as to trump the others because of its availability.
If you fill a quart jar with melted pork fat and allow it to cool at room temperature it will separate into several layers of hardness ranging from a buttery consistancey to a light oil that makes a fine salad dressing used just as you would corn oil.
8:36 am
December 28, 2008
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Many years ago I thoroughly studied the difference between the various fat sources and discovered that in quantities that a normal person would consume at home fat = fat = fat. I was actually quite shocked with that revelation as many of us grew up with the myth that margarine was healthier than butter and veg shortening healthier than lard. Not so!
Presumably, someone watching their intake of fat would simply not eat enough fat to metabolically experience the chemical differences between the fats.
So what's the real difference between them? The additives and the amount of processing needed to get the fat/oil into the container! Like using toluene (a solvent) to extract the fats from some veggies, then taking it back out of the mixture before packaging. (Theoretically, you really can remove even trace amounts of the products used to seperate the fats from the fiber in veggies…but do we ever know for sure?) Then chemicals we cannot pronounce are added to extend shelf life and the stability of the product.
Each of us can and will make decisions which work best for us and our households. For me and mine, it's the least processed fats – like butter and olive oil. We are adding home rendered fats to our list now.
10:30 am
October 5, 2010
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I buy a product of shortening that has no hydrogenated oils in it. I find it in the health food store or at the grocery store Wegman's. I have also used canola oil to make pie crust using whole wheat flour.
4:10 pm
May 3, 2011
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I figure eating foods closer to their source is the best plan. I see nothing wrong with using lard for pie crusts. Like Pete we were told margarine is better than butter. Well they were wrong! I don't use processed foods at all. They take perfectly good healthy food and make it bad for you. I will continue eating my butter and drinking cream in my coffee. Nothing better.
10:19 pm
August 15, 2008
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Pete, hugs to you! Well said. I am a lard girl all the way. I am also unprocessed all the way and its important to know how something is processed. I get my fat supply from a local butcher. I get a bunch, freeze it until I am ready to get it all rendered. Suzanne taught us how to skim the top for the best pastry quality. Yummy. I keep mine in the freezer and fridge and because of the cold it makes the flakiest crust ever. I tried this with store bought lard and it just didn't do the same. Lots of choices out there.
10:06 am
December 28, 2008
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Birdi! Great to "see" you!!
To add to what I said above – I hope everyone keyed in on the fact that it was a long time ago that I did my research on fats. Things may have changed some since then, but the generalities probably remain the same or similar. What I am encouraging each of you to do is to check things out for yourselves.
I would not willingly consume commercially produced lard, for instance. I will use it for making soap, though, at least until I demonstrate to myself that the additives do not cause additional skin problems for us. (We WILL compare soap made with home rendered lard vs store bought lard. One of these days.)
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