Page 38 - United States of Pie

In addition to giving off a moderate porcine fragrance, fatback
often tastes slightly piggy.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in this country,

pig was king. These barnyard animals had it good. They were
plump, and roly-poly, and ate well. In turn, they were truly eaten
from nose to tail. Chops, ribs, and loins were cooked. The lard
was rendered, and it seemed that every refrigerator and pantry
held containers of cooled and solidified lard. Then the industrial
revolution came, and it became cheaper to produce vegetable
oils. Society was becoming more urban and less agrarian. Highly

stable vegetable shortenings (derived from vegetable oils)
became prevalent. By the late twentieth century, animal fats had
become taboo.
Today leaf lard and fatback are lumped together with the
commercial-grade lard sold in grocery stores in 1-pound bricks or
tubs. Commercial-grade lard is almost another beast entirely.

This is the lard that, when eaten in abundance, leads to obesity.
For stability reasons, commercial-grade lard is hydrogenated,
making it full of unhealthy trans fats and bad cholesterol.
So if you are looking to make the flakiest and most healthful
pie dough you can, you need to get your hands on some leaf lard.
While this type of lard is becoming more readily available, you
may just have to render it yourself.

Rendering only sounds frightening. Basically, when you render
lard, you’re cooking the fat down to a liquid form and then
allowing it to cool into a solid form. Pork fat scorches easily, so it
is necessary to melt the fat at a low temperature. This can be
done one of two ways: either on the stovetop or in the oven.
Though a lot depends on the quality and type of lard you’re

going to render, you should get approximately 1 cup of rendered
lard per 1 pound of leaf lard. Tightly sealed, lard keeps for
several months in the refrigerator and can be frozen successfully.
To render lard on the stovetop, first cut the fat into small bits.
Cook the fat in a Dutch oven over low heat. The fat will begin to
liquefy fairly quickly. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 hours, stirring
occasionally. The water in the fat will evaporate, and the fat will

bubble and percolate. When the boiling becomes sluggish,