Whewre to buy Leaf Lard?

[DrGaellon]

DEEP wrote:
Simply rendering the fat from bacon, "streak 'o lean" or "fat back" will provided the desired "lard"... As a kid, our lard came straight from the butchered pig's fat renderings. Who really cares if it "leafed"?

You are QUITE seriously mistaken. Bacon fat is nothing like lard. Bacon fat is salty and smoky. Lard is supposed to be a neutral, nearly-flavorless fat. Leaf lard, from the fat around the kidneys, is the most neutral-flavored of fat anywhere on the pig; fat from other places has more pork flavor. If you can get your hands on uncured fatback or belly, you can render your own lard, but the more meat there is, the more porky the resulting fat will taste - which will not be good in a dessert pie. The lard you got as a kid was, in fact, rendered from pure fat cut from the pig, not from cured-and-smoked bacon, nor from meaty cuts.

[DEEP]

You couldn't be more wrong Doc. Or could you? I know exactly what you are saying, but let's face it, you can put lipstick on lard, and it's still pork fat. Believe me, I know all about the renderings, the parts of a hog, probably more than you, and most, would even care to know, or take the time to learn about pigs, hogs and fat. Dress it up and sell it as whatever you'd like...declare it coming from this part, that part, or unmetionable parts. Leaf it, flip it, souffle it, or declare it curds and whey and when rendered is is nothing more than what it is. To a "truest" here in the south, pork flavor in a pie crust would be the truest form of a real crust. Sell it on Madison Ave, Doc, and you can't make it any prettier than it is.

I think if you'd take the time to reread my post and absorb the words, you'll have to agree, you've stated nothing I haven't.

[DrGaellon]

DEEP wrote:
I think if you'd take the time to reread my post and absorb the words, you'll have to agree, you've stated nothing I haven't.

I agree to no such thing... but I shan't wage a word war with you. It's not worth the effort.

[DEEP]

DrGaellon wrote:

DEEP wrote:
I think if you'd take the time to reread my post and absorb the words, you'll have to agree, you've stated nothing I haven't.

I agree to no such thing... but I shan't wage a word war with you. It's not worth the effort.

Nor shall I. Ditto!

[Zeldaz]

Leaf lard (not "leafed") is by definition from a specific area on the pig, the kidneys, and is referred to as "liquid gold" by many bakers. Yes, you can render lard from any pig fat, but leaf lard is only that which is obtained from a specific type of fat, and yields the creamiest product and the most ideal flavor. Here's an explanation from The King Arthur Baking Company website of why it is so prized for pastry:

"For the uninitiated, leaf lard is a very particular type of lard. It is lard rendered exclusively from the “leaf fat” of a pig. It is fat that is deposited around the kidney of the animal. Why is this important? Well, this fat has a different structure than other fat, which lends itself beautifully to pastry applications.
“Because of its large crystalline structure, it works exceptionally well in biscuits and pie crust. Lard is somewhat soft even when cold, so when making a pie dough, some of the fat coats the flour, inhibiting much of the gluten development. The remaining fat, which stays in larger flakes, melts at a slightly higher temperature than butter, keeping the layers of flour and water separate. This also allows what little water is in the dough to turn to steam and separate the layers further. This is what creates a pie crust’s flakiness. “

[Greixos Olivella]

I’m completely agree with Zeldaz, and Dr Galleon, BACON’S FAT IS NOT LARD, The company of my family brings almost 30 years producing leaf lard, which is made of the soft fat of a specific area on the pig, the kidneys and is referred to as "liquid gold" by many bakers, as Zeldaz says. (each pig/sow has only between 800 gr. – 1000 gr. of this fat) and our company has agreements with so many authorized slaughterhouses to purchase this specific kind of fat. In order to we can guarantee that our lard is authentic leaf lard, so most of our customers are pastry bakers of all around Spain, and this is the lard that they need for bake due to is the most neutral-flavored of fat anywhere on the pig; fat from other places has more pork flavour as Dr. Galleon said.

[DEEP]

So, we all agree. Nothing has changed.

[Zeldaz]

[Greixos Olivella]

that's fine, maybe I misunderstanded something, just I was confirming that leaf lard is not like the other kinds of lard, thank's everybody to join in that discussion

[PaulO in MA]

I sure did poke a stick in a hornet's nest.

Still haven't purchased leaf lard. Looks like mom's baking days are done.

[Zeldaz]

Have you tried one of the internet sources?