# Deep fried lard!



## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

Is it just a Mennonite thing? We refry our rendering cracklings for breakfast then squeeze the remaining lard out using a potato ricer. We then fork out the dry bits, add salt and use toast with jelly to squish into the plate of crackles. Toast jelly and a thick layer of deep fried lard!! That's a good breakfast.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

I think it's just an "old time" thing rather than a mennonite thing.

Wade


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

Ahh, as I type the sweet smell of cracklings is wafting through the air. Another "healthy" brunch is being prepared. That makes twice in two days. Hard to believe something that starts like this can taste so good.


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

1shotwade said:


> I think it's just an "old time" thing rather than a mennonite thing.
> 
> Wade


 Is it also common for non Mennonites to fry the ribs and neck bones in the rendering pot for a butcher day feast?


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)




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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

Anybody else eat "crackle butter"? That's the dark residue left at the bottom of the cooling lard. We like to spread it on buns with salt and pepper.

Hard to believe but my grandparents lived into their nineties on a diet that included these foods.

Its the stuff in the far right container.


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## Karenrbw (Aug 17, 2004)

postroad said:


> Anybody else eat "crackle butter"? That's the dark residue left at the bottom of the cooling lard. We like to spread it on buns with salt and pepper.
> 
> Hard to believe but my grandparents lived into their nineties on a diet that included these foods.


My grandma fried everything in lard and has never used Pam cooking spray, Country Crock or anything like that. She is 90 and granddad is 93. I really think there is something to the theory that lard and other "old fashioned" cooking oils are more natural that some of these spreads that are just a molecule away from plastic. Our body just knows how to deal with lard.


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

Karenrbw said:


> My grandma fried everything in lard and has never used Pam cooking spray, Country Crock or anything like that. She is 90 and granddad is 93. I really think there is something to the theory that lard and other "old fashioned" cooking oils are more natural that some of these spreads that are just a molecule away from plastic. Our body just knows how to deal with lard.


Well I am halfway to ninety so hopefully I have another couple decades of eating the old fashioned way. I think one has to expend calories the old fashioned way also. My Grandma told me they used to cover the sausages in containers of lard so they would keep into the warmer months.


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## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

Crackling Cookies are popular here in our house.



Crackling Cookies

2 Cups Cracklings
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup White sugar
2 Fresh eggs 
1/2 Cup milk 
4 Cups flour(sifted with the next spices) 
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves 
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Cup nuts
1 Cup raisins

Mix all together.
Place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake in a 350 degree oven until light brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.

One thing I do that the recipe doesn't say to is I run my cracklins through my food processor before I mix them into the batter, Just in case there are any bigger pieces.


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

Sounds tasty. We often bake bread using the lard drained from frying the crackles or we will use the above mentioned crackle butter.

I skin the pigs and also send the lard through the coarse plate of the grinder before rendering. I know some folks use the skin and only cube the lard before rendering.

Back in my youth we also scraped the pigs and used the skin among many other bits to boil into headcheese.https://www.facebook.com/6821982018...ae99ff7723c&size=960,720&fbid=739846166063901


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

postroad said:


> Well I am halfway to ninety so hopefully I have another couple decades of eating the old fashioned way. I think one has to expend calories the old fashioned way also. My Grandma told me they used to cover the sausages in containers of lard so they would keep into the warmer months.


That is called "potting" as in "potted meat". The reason it worked is because the liquid fat would seep down and surround the meat pieces, expelling all the air. Air is the enemy of food.


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

suitcase_sally said:


> That is called "potting" as in "potted meat". The reason it worked is because the liquid fat would seep down and surround the meat pieces, expelling all the air. Air is the enemy of food.


 Yep. She would also can them in large canning jars. We would open a jar and wipe off the lard and eat them cold. Delicious.

The uncles say they can remember going into the smokehouse when she asked them to get a ham. 

The hams stayed in that smokehouse under a shade tree winter and summer.


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