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Stovetop rendered lard and pork cracklings
Slowly render pork fatback in a heavy-bottomed pot for homemade lard and crisp cracklings. Makes about 1.4 kg of lard from 2 kg of fatback.
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- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 2 hr
- Total time
- 2 hr 30 min
- Servings
- 1.4 kg of lard
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cuisine
- Slovak
Lard and pork cracklings rendered in a pot are staples of traditional Slovak hog-butchering cooking, and you can make them at home with pork fatback from a butcher. Slowly render the diced fatback with a little water until the fat separates and the cubes turn into golden-brown cracklings.
The strained lard turns white as it cools and keeps in the refrigerator for several months. Use the cracklings in pagáče, savory Slovak biscuits, or in a pork crackling spread.
Ingredients
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Instructions
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Dice the fatback
Cut the chilled fatback into cubes about 1.5 cm across. Cold fatback is easier to cut, and evenly sized cubes will finish rendering at the same time.
Start rendering
Pour the water into a wide, heavy-bottomed pot, add the fatback, and bring to a boil over medium heat. The water prevents the fatback from scorching before the cubes begin to release their fat.
Render slowly
Once the water has evaporated, reduce the heat to low and render the fatback uncovered for 1.5–2 hours. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, scraping along the bottom to keep the cubes from sticking.
Check the cracklings
Look for golden-brown, crisp cracklings and clear lard to tell when they are ready. Do not let the cracklings get dark, or the lard will turn bitter.
Strain the lard
Remove the pot from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Carefully strain the lard through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into dry jars or a stoneware crock. Work slowly, as hot lard splatters when it comes into contact with water.
Salt the cracklings
Let the cracklings drain in a strainer and salt them while still warm. Let the lard cool at room temperature. Once it has solidified and turned white, store it in the refrigerator.
Tip: Warm the jars for the lard in the oven at 100 °C (212 °F) and pour it in a little at a time. Hot lard could crack cold glass.
This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Bravčová masť a oškvarky – škvarenie v hrnci
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