Edible Vancouver Autumn 2010 : Page 22

Lard, pork fat that’s cooked at a low temperature until all the fat is “rendered” or separated from the other meaty parts of the pig, has undergone its fair share of attacks. Despite the fact that as a species, we’ve been consuming animal fat since time out of mind, cooking with it has become almost evil. And deadly. Consumption of satu-rated fats has been correlated to high LDL cholesterol and coronary disease, causing many of us to replace animal fat with vegetable fats. Instead we fry in canola oil and use margarine and vegetable shorten-ing with reckless abandon. However, more recent studies have shown that it’s not necessarily saturated fats that are bad for us, but trans fats. Trans fats are what perfectly edible and delicious natural fats become after hydrogenation—the process used to make fats more stable and long-lasting. So it isn’t lard that clogs the arteries and contributes to high cholesterol, but the love of shelf life. Lard also has fairly sig-nificant nutritional value. It contains vitamin E and oleic acid, the same substance that’s found in olive oil and believed to have blood pressure-reducing and memory-enhancing properties. not just for INSULTS anymore BY ANNMARIE MACKINNON Lard makes a culinary comeback When referring to backsides, its very name is an insult. It has been decried as one of the worst things you can put in your mouth. Rife with artery-clogging saturated fats, it is all but able to give you an instant heart attack, or so the story goes. Even the word sounds heavy to say. But lard, that most vilified of fats, is making a comeback. 22 | EDIBLE VANCOUVER AUTUMN 2010 Many cultures throughout the world traditionally use lard in their cuisines, and certainly not just for its nutritional value. What we now have the luxury of referring to as a “nose-to-tail” approach to eating— whole-hog proponent Fergus Henderson’s idea that “if you’re going to kill the animal it seems only polite to use the whole thing”—was for most people a necessity. Eating all the parts of an animal that you’d raised yourself was simply what you did, and so this way of cooking was characteristic of many rustic and rural cuisines. Though no longer a necessity in most cultures, the adoption and growing popularity of the nose-to-tail approach is certainly a much more reasonable and less wasteful way to eat. And it increasingly holds a certain cachet. Whereas at one time human snouts might have turned up at eating ears, and offal was awful, diners are flocking to restaurants that serve what was formerly tossed in the trash. And they continue to be sur-prised by just how good the eating is. It’s for these reassuring reasons that lard is reclaiming its position as a favourite fat of cooks and bakers, both in restaurants and at home. It’s completely delicious served in the traditional European way, spread on fresh baked bread with a hint of salt, or used to fry up potatoes for your traditional big breakfast. But where it really shines is in pastry. The flavour and texture of a lard-based pie crust is like no other, and is equally complementary to sweet and savoury fillings. Fill it with a thick beef and stout stew, and serve with roasted vegetables and braised fall greens like kale for what is, to me, one of the most comforting autumn meals you can make. Sure, lard is pure fat. I don’t advocate eating entire tubs of it on a daily basis. But it is, like any-thing, perfectly fine to eat in moderation. And the minute a piece of lard pastry hits your tongue you’ll know it’s a sensation like no other. It’s heavenly. So join me, everyone, and braise the lard! Photos: Bread, © istockphoto.com/dirkr -Pie, © istockphoto.com/MentalArt -Pastry, © istockphoto.com/YinYang

NOT JUST FOR INSULTS ANYMORE

ANNMARIE MACKINNON

Lard makes a culinary comeback When referring to backsides, its very name is an insult. It has been decried as one of the worst things you can put in your mouth. Rife with artery-clogging saturated fats, it is all but able to give you an instant heart attack, or so the story goes. Even the word sounds heavy to say. But lard, that most vilified of fats, is making a comeback. Lard, pork fat that's cooked at a low temperature until all the fat is "rendered" or separated from the other meaty parts of the pig, has undergone its fair share of attacks. Despite the fact that as a species, we've been consuming animal fat since time out of mind, cooking with it has become almost evil. And deadly. Consumption of saturated fats has been correlated to high LDL cholesterol and coronary disease, causing many of us to replace animal fat with vegetable fats. Instead we fry in canola oil and use margarine and vegetable shortening with reckless abandon. However, more recent studies have shown that it's not necessarily saturated fats that are bad for us, but trans fats. Trans fats are what perfectly edible and delicious natural fats become after hydrogenation–the process used to make fats more stable and long-lasting. So it isn't lard that clogs the arteries and contributes to high cholesterol, but the love of shelf life. Lard also has fairly significant nutritional value. It contains vitamin E and oleic acid, the same substance that's found in olive oil and believed to have blood pressure-reducing and memory-enhancing properties. Many cultures throughout the world traditionally use lard in their cuisines, and certainly not just for its nutritional value. What we now have the luxury of referring to as a "nose-to-tail" approach to eating–whole-hog proponent Fergus Henderson's idea that "if you're going to kill the animal it seems only polite to use the whole thing"–was for most people a necessity. Eating all the parts of an animal that you'd raised yourself was simply what you did, and so this way of cooking was characteristic of many rustic and rural cuisines. Though no longer a necessity in most cultures, the adoption and growing popularity of the nose-to-tail approach is certainly a much more reasonable and less wasteful way to eat. And it increasingly holds a certain cachet. Whereas at one time human snouts might have turned up at eating ears, and offal was awful, diners are flocking to restaurants that serve what was formerly tossed in the trash. And they continue to be surprised by just how good the eating is. It's for these reassuring reasons that lard is reclaiming its position as a favourite fat of cooks and bakers, both in restaurants and at home. It's completely delicious served in the traditional European way, spread on fresh baked bread with a hint of salt, or used to fry up potatoes for your traditional big breakfast. But where it really shines is in pastry. The flavour and texture of a lard-based pie crust is like no other, and is equally complementary to sweet and savoury fillings. Fill it with a thick beef and stout stew, and serve with roasted vegetables and braised fall greens like kale for what is, to me, one of the most comforting autumn meals you can make. Sure, lard is pure fat. I don't advocate eating entire tubs of it on a daily basis. But it is, like anything, perfectly fine to eat in moderation. And the minute a piece of lard pastry hits your tongue you'll know it's a sensation like no other. It's heavenly. So join me, everyone, and braise the lard! LARD PASTRY CRUST This recipe makes a double 9-inch pie crust. You can find natural, un-hydrogenated lard at butcher shops around Vancouver. The lard I used for this recipe came from the International Sausage House in Burnaby. Measuring out the lard in chunks, then placing it in the freezer for 30 minutes or so, makes it much easier to work with. 2 cups (500mL) flour 1/4 tsp (1mL) salt 1 Tbsp (15mL) granulated sugar (optional) 3/4 cup (175mL) lard 1 Tbsp (15mL) cider vinegar 2–4 Tbsp (30–60mL) ice water Sift the salt and the flour (and sugar if you decide to use it) together in a bowl. Cut the cold lard into chunks (or scoop with a spoon or melon baller) and add to the flour. Mix the flour and lard together with a pastry blender, a fork, or your hands until it has a somewhat gravelly, uneven texture. Add the cider vinegar and stir. Add water one tablespoon at a time, stirring in between additions to ensure the mixture does not become too wet. Once the dough comes together to form a ball, divide it into two balls. Flatten each ball into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. When you are ready to use the pastry dough, try to use as little extra flour as possible to roll it out. Adding flour toughens the dough and actually makes it harder to roll out. As with any pastry-making endeavour, you will likely find that ambient temperature and humidity will affect the texture of your dough. Keeping your kitchen and bowls cool and adding ingredients gradually will allow you to adjust according to the day's circumstances. Working the dough as little as possible will also keep it very flakey and tender. AnnMarie MacKinnon is a Vancouver-based freelance writer whose temporary childhood pets, Pig-Hound and Oinkum, were probably much more influential than they ever knew.

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