Those Homemade Crispy Pork Lard Scratchings are a perfect Keto Snack, that can be used in baking, cooking or just on its own. This lightly caramelized Lard with smoky flavor is a secret ingredient to our Low Carb, Gluten-Free and Grain-Free Lifestyle.
Pork Lard spread, together with Lard Scratchings were and still are one of the must-have ingredients in Slovak cuisine.
As a kid, I have grown up with the best breakfast of lard spread on a Keto Farmers Bread and slices of onions.
For snacks, my mum used to bake pagace, which is something similar to our Biscuits filled with pork scratchings paste and pagaciky, cheesy keto bread bites, which is a mini version.
Of course, we have at that time used ordinary bread, because nobody had any idea you can make bread other than using normal flour.
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But now no more. Our Keto Bread Recipes variation is proof you can still enjoy it fully.
The second best ever recipe was to use Pork Lard Scratchings in our famous Pagach, which is something similar to the savory biscuit. And I have already made it to go with biscuits and gravy breakfast.
What is Lard?
Lard is pure fat from pork which does not contain any trans fat and therefore is one of the best dietary choices.
Lard has for centuries been a very important ingredient in many cultures.
Pure lard has been used instead of butter during the world war because of its availability as well as price.
Advantages of Lard
Compared to butter, Lard has got much less saturated fat and cholesterol and more of the unsaturated fat.
It is a low-temperature fat and therefore it is not advisable to overheat it above 360F or 190C.
Lard doesn’t oxidize when heated, which is another great benefit.
Homemade Lard and its Scratchings is, of course, the best choice as you can control from where you have purchased the Lard, what type of Lard you have used, and the way you made it to retain the most of the healthiness, this keto snack can offer.
Pork fat made into Lard as well as Scratchings
And therefore we are going to be making today the best ever caramelized Homemade Crispy Pork Lard Scratchings with an unforgettable smoky flavor.
And as a by-product, you get the whitest ever Pork Lard spread for your morning Keto Breakfast.
All done without any hassle, you will be making this time after time.
How to make Crispy Pork Lard?
Making perfect crispy lard can be done in 2 ways.
- On a Stove Top, where you regularly mix the fat while taking the already melted Fat away.
- In the oven with much easier steps, since there is no worry of Lard burning on the bottom of the pot.
In our recipe, we are going to render the fat in the oven – the second choice.
All you have to do is Melt, Strain and Enjoy.
How easy is that?
Kitchen equipments you will need:
Ingredients needed:
- Pork Fat
- Salt
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE THE BEST PORK LARD AND SCRATCHINGS.
First step: Clean and Cut
First of all, make sure that all of the pork fat is clean.
If you are unsure, wash the fat properly and dry it with a paper napkin.
Cut the pork fat into approximately 2 cm or half an inch size squares.
The size is pretty important as while rendering, the fat will still shrink and if you will end up with really small crumbs.
Second Step: Casserole and Water
Once all the fat is cut into squares, place it inside a glass casserole and pour a little bit of water underneath.
The water is important for the beginning. As the rendering process starts, your squares can get burned quickly.
You really only need a small amount of water for the beginning. Do not worry. Afterward, this water will evaporate during the process. Place the casserole into the oven and let the rendering process start.
Third Step: Halfway – strain
Approximately halfway, which is after about an hour you will see that there is enough lard already melted. This is the best time to take the casserole out and strain all the lard into a glass jar through a strainer.
You can make this process a few times if you wish. I have only done that once and that was more than enough.
Fourth Step: Pure Lard Spread
As you see in the picture, you will end up with a by-product called Pure Lard.
This Lard is bright yellow in color, white melted, but once it cools down the color will turn into a beautiful pure white.
Do not throw it, as this is another best ingredient to use either as a spread or during your cooking or baking savory dishes.
Fifth Step: Strain more Fat
Once all the scratchings are done, take the casserole out of the oven, strain the remaining melted lard and place the scratchings on a paper towel. This will make sure that any additional oil is taken away and you will end up with a beautiful crispy flavorful Keto snack.
Sixth step: Season
As Lard scratchings on its own do not have any flavor you could sprinkle it with salt or additional spices if you wish.
You can enjoy it straight away or save it in a mason jar for the future.
Tips and Tricks:
Size – do not cut the fat into very small pieces, otherwise, you will get really tiny bits. The fat shrinks while rendering, so approximately 2cm or half an inch is the best.
Baking time – The baking time really depends on the sizes you have cut the fat into as well as the size of the casserole and amount of fat used.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The caramelized smoky flavor of Lard Scratching is a special ingredient in some baked savory dishes, biscuits and pastries.
1. Grind them into small crumbs and use instead of Bacon bits.
2. Pure Pork Lard is perfectly spread on the bread with slices of onion – my kid’s memories of how we enjoyed it.
3. You can mix a bit of Lard spread with small bits of scratching in it for even better breakfast choice.
4. Use the pure Lard instead of oil in cooking or baking
5. Add scratching into your savory biscuits for an additional flavor.
Making perfect crispy lard can be done in 2 ways.
On a stove pot, where you regularly mix the fat while taking the already melted Fat away.
In the oven, with much easier steps, since there is no worry of Lard burning on the bottom of the pot.
The most important steps in the rendering are melted, strain and enjoy. Whatever recipe or process you choose.
The definition of Pork Fat is pure raw fat, you get directly from cutting the meat.
Poor Lard is on the other side the fat, which has been derived from rendering the pork fat.
The best ever Lard you can get is a Leaf Lard.
Leaf lard is the fat taken directly from around the kidneys and inside the loin.
One of the best advantages of using a Leaf Lard is its smell. Leaf lard has got a minimal smell after pork.
It also is the much softer and the whitest fat you can get from pigs.
If it is available in your region, buy pork fat in butcher shops or supermarkets. Make sure you always ask what type of pork fat it is, as you might not know or see a big difference.
If this is not sold in the supermarkets, you can also try Asian shops. Pork Fat is very popular to use in Asian cuisine and therefore almost every shop will have a supply.
Reusing Lard after frying really depends on what you have used it for. If it was not overheated, you can use it again, just make sure you strain it through the cheesecloth or mesh.
Pure Lard does not need to be refrigerated and stays perfect at room temperature for several months.
But if it was not done properly, even a pure Lard can go bad.
I always suggest storing it inside a Mason Jar in the refrigerator, where it lasts for up to a year. Sometimes even more.
You can certainly store lard in the freezer if you have made a bigger amount. The easiest way is to freeze it inside the ice cubes container, which you can then easily take out as a single serving. You can also store it inside smaller mason jars or any glass jar for that matter. Just take it out of the freezer the night before and let it fully thaw before opening and using it.
To add to the healthiness have a look at our Ginger Turmeric Energy Shot which is great to make from time to time to boost our Immune System.
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Full Recipe For Pork Lard Scratchings with a Print Out Option
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Homemade Crispy Pork Lard Scratchings Recipe
Those Homemade Crispy Pork Lard Scratchings are a perfect Keto Snack, that can be used in baking, cooking or just on its own. This lightly caramelized Lard with smoky flavor is a secret ingredient to our Low Carb, Gluten-Free and Grain-Free Lifestyle.
Ingredients
- 1 kg of pure Fat from Pork (2,2lb)
Instructions
- Check the video for better understanding
- Preheat the oven to 200C or 400F
- Cut the pork fat into approximately 2 cm or half an inch size squares.
- Place it inside a glass casserole and pour a little bit of water underneath.
The water is important for the beginning. As the rendering process starts, your squares can get burned quickly. You really only need a small amount of water for the beginning, which will evaporate. - Place the casserole into the oven and let the rendering process start.
- Approximately halfway, which is after about 45 minutes, you will see that there is enough lard already melted. This is the best time to take the casserole out and strain all the lard into a glass jar through a strainer.
- As you see in the picture, you will end up with a by-product called Pure Lard.
This Lard is bright yellow in color, white melted, but once it cools down the color will turn into a beautiful pure white. - Once all the scratchings are done, take the casserole out of the oven, strain the remaining melted lard and place the scratchings on a paper towel. This will make sure that any additional oil is taken away and you will end up with a beautiful crispy flavorful Keto snack.
- As Lard scratchings on its own do not have any flavor you could sprinkle it with salt or additional spices if you wish.
- You can enjoy it straight away or save it in a mason jar for the future.
Notes
Size - do not cut the fat into very small pieces, otherwise, you will get really tiny bits. The fat shrinks while rendering, so approximately 2cm or half an inch is the best.
Baking time - The baking time really depends on the sizes you have cut the fat into as well as the size of the casserole and amount of fat used.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 704Total Fat 57gCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gProtein 48g
Nutritions have been calculated for 650g of Lard Scratchings only. From 1kg of Pure Pork Fat, you would still get an additional 1,5 Cup of Pure Pork Lard Spread
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Monica
Wednesday 20th of May 2020
Where I live we call this chicharrón and it's excellent!!! The lard that you get from this you can use to fry anything you want so don't throw it away!! Keep in a jar in the refrigerator and use it instead of oil.
Zuzana
Wednesday 20th of May 2020
I love them so much as well. The spread is best with just onion and salt. Yum.