How to Render Lard

• Back fat: Typically used for sautéing vegetables/meat/etc. Has a mild pork flavor.
• Leaf/Kidney fat: Typically used for baking as it has little-to-no pork flavor.

Cut fat into small pieces (the smaller the pieces, the more it will render down). Be sure to cut out any pieces of meat that are still attached.

If you have a meat grinder, putting the fat through that will yield the best results. If not, 1/2 inch diced pieces will work just fine.

Put all the diced fat into a large heavy bottomed pot. Place the pot on the stove and turn the burner to low.

Basically from here you are simply letting the fat "melt" into liquid.

The biggest thing you want to avoid is burning the fat which will ruin the whole batch.

Initially, you'll want to stir the fat frequently to ensure the bottom is not sticking/burning.

Once a lot of liquid has formed and you're certain the heat is low enough to not burn, you can switch to stirring every 30 minutes or so.

With 5 lbs of fat, the process will take 4-6 hours. You will know the rendering is complete when the little bits of fat turn slightly brown and float to the top.

When finished, place a fine mesh strainer over a clean bowl. Place some cheesecloth in the strainer and carefully pour the hot fat through the strainer and into the bowl.

Allow it to cool slightly before pouring into the containers you plan to store the lard in.

Place lids on containers and store in the fridge. The lard will solidify and turn white once it is cold.

Optional:

If you want to speed up the process without turning the heat up, you can strain the liquid out as you go along and then place the pot back on the burner to allow it to continue rendering.