Pork Fat Products

Pork fat is versatile animal fat that has different flavor profiles depending on what part of the pig it came from. The fat can be rendered into oil for frying foods or used as an ingredient, a topping, for basting, and even in mashed potatoes. This venerable foodstuff once fell out of favor for various reasons, but pork fat is making a comeback as people explore cuisines from other cultures, engage in diets that are heavy on the use of animal fats as part of the daily meals, and seek out novel ingredients to create interesting flavors and make their foods more interesting. 

There are three different types of fat on a pig, and all have different uses due to their texture and flavor. The best pork fat is known as leaf lard and is found around the kidneys and loins. Fatback comes from the pig's back, and belly fat is found between the layers of meat on the belly. Rendering leaf lard results in snow-white lard that is used in pie crusts for a flaky texture. Fatback is most commonly used for fried and sauteed dishes and imparts a delicious pork taste. Belly fat is also used for frying and sauteing foods.

Pork fat is used in many Asian dishes as an oil and ingredient. When you're looking for an authentic taste that puts you in mind of a street vendor in an Asian night market, you want pork fat. Pork fat is used primarily as cooking oil, but crispy pork fat is sometimes used as a garnish to give a dish more texture and flavor. Fatback is the best fat for making crispy pork fat as it holds up to the frying process. 

Although pork fat is solid at room temperature, heating it causes it to break down into an oil. This makes pork fat difficult to use as an ingredient on its own. That doesn't mean you don't have to prepare pork fat before using it, though. Pork fat needs to undergo a process known as rendering prior to using it for cooking or as an ingredient in a dish. Most of the time, pork fat is packaged in its original state, which means it's full of unwanted parts of the pig.

Rendering pork fat is a simple process that involves melting down the unprocessed fat in a pot or pan. Simply place the fat into the pot, turn the heat up to a medium flame, and keep an eye on the fat as it melts. If the fat starts generating smoke, your flame is too high and should be turned lower. Prepare a container with a filter while the fat is melting. Once the entire lump of fat has melted, pour it through the filter and let it cool. Throw out the filter and its contents, then seal the container. 

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