Lard was once the food of the poor, since pieces of pork with meat were fabulously expensive. However, ordinary people, working from dawn to dawn, noted that after fat they feel a surge of energy, and this is not surprising. Modern scientists consider lard to be one of the healthiest foods on our table, because it contains fatty acids that are involved in building cells, producing hormones and cholesterol metabolism. In addition, lard strengthens the immune system, improves heart function, removes toxins from the body and is a powerful antioxidant. can be found in many national cuisines of the world, therefore it is considered an international delicacy.

Lard is one of the oldest foods on earth, as humans domesticated the pig 10,000 years BC. This happened in Central Asia, and from there the bacon and the methods of salting it "emigrated" to China, Africa and Europe. Italians salt lard with rosemary and aromatic herbs and call it lardo. Interestingly, the Romans usually ate bacon with figs, and in French cuisine, bread with bacon was a classic and favorite snack. The British added lard to their Christmas pudding, and the traditional bacon and eggs are still an important part of a proper English breakfast.

In Russia, lard was salted in barrels or melted and kept in clay pots, using it to make soups and cereals. Without lard, it was difficult to imagine harvesting greens for the winter - usually it was ground to a state of gruel and poured over with melted lard.

How to make lard at home: choosing pork

They say that the taste of lard depends on the diet of pigs and therefore the best bacon is obtained from animals from households, which were fed with potatoes, beets, cereals and scraps from the table. Unfortunately, many farms provide pigs with artificial feeds with additives to stimulate growth. Such lard turns out to be tasteless and not useful.

For salting, buy only fresh fresh lard - when no more than four hours have passed since the slaughter of the pig. Choose lard with a skin, while it should be homogeneous and elastic, and as a test it is recommended to pierce it with a knife. The knife goes into good bacon easily and effortlessly, although you will feel its density. In other words, the lard should not be too soft and loose. Good lard in the context has a white or slightly pinkish tint, and yellow color indicates that the product is of poor quality, so it is better to refrain from buying. The ideal lard for salting is without streaks of meat, otherwise it will turn out to be harsh and quickly deteriorate, such lard is usually boiled or smoked. And gourmets also say that lard from female pigs is much tastier, but until you check it yourself, you won't find out!

How to make tasty bacon at home: salting methods

Before salting, the bacon is cut into pieces about 4 cm thick, and you can salt it in several ways.

If you put lard with the skin down and make several cuts, not reaching the skin by 0.5-1 cm, and then put slices of garlic into the cuts, and sprinkle generously with salt on top, this is a dry method, the most common and simple. Such lard is prepared within a week, but it must be eaten in a maximum of a month. Pieces of bacon with garlic in the cuts, sprinkled with salt, are piled on top of each other and placed in a plastic bag for three days. The fat is stored at room temperature, and after two days it must be turned over for even salting. After that, the bacon should be placed in the refrigerator for another three days, while the temperature should be around 10 ° C. The fat is ready when the pink streaks turn gray. After that, cleanse it of salt and taste it!

If you want the bacon to turn out especially spicy and aromatic, use any spices or peas of black pepper, crushed just before use, when salting. Do not spare the salt and do not be afraid to oversalt the lard. The fact is that it will absorb as much salt as it needs, but the risk of undersalting lard is much greater. Unsalted lard has a shorter shelf life, so it is best to store it in the freezer.

So that the fat does not spoil, after salting, you need to clean it of salt, wash it, dry it, fill it with new salt, place it in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator. You can rub lard with garlic, red or black pepper before use for a spicy taste and aroma.

Spicy lard with garlic

Try salting in the easiest way to make sure it's not that hard. To do this, cut 1 kg of lard into pieces 5-7 cm wide and prepare the seasoning - 3 tbsp. l. salt, 0.5 tbsp. l. ground red pepper, 0.5 tbsp. l. ground black pepper, pepper, caraway seeds and turmeric - to taste, any aromatic herbs and a broken bay leaf. Grind the head of garlic on a grater, mix all the spices together, and leave the salt separately. Now rub the pieces of lard with salt, spices and garlic, and then put them in a large bowl in layers, sprinkling each layer with salt. Leave the bacon for three days, making sure that the temperature in the room does not rise above 18 ° C. After that, remove the bacon for a day in the refrigerator, and if it is salted (pink streaks turned gray), you can consider it ready. If necessary, let the bacon saline a little more, keeping an eye on the color of the veins. Now you can cut it into pieces, use it in cooking, or serve it as a snack.

Real Ukrainian lard

This recipe is passed down in many Ukrainian families from generation to generation. At least every Ukrainian housewife knows how to salt lard, otherwise no one will marry her. Such lard was given as a dowry many years ago, and such a bride was considered very rich.

Cut 1.5 kg of well-washed bacon into large and long pieces, and then prepare the brine. To do this, pour a liter of water into a saucepan, add a glass of coarse sea salt and bring the water to a boil. In cooled salted water, throw 6 black peppercorns, 1 tbsp. l. ground allspice, 5 bay leaves and 6 cloves of finely chopped garlic.

Dip the pieces of bacon in the brine, put them under a press and keep them in the refrigerator for three days. Remove the prepared bacon from the brine, dry well with a towel, coat with spices again and serve on a wooden board with a bunch of green onions, as Ukrainian housewives do.

How to make lard soft at home

If you like very soft, tender lard, cook it hot - it will not take long. For this method, a sponder is suitable - lard with streaks of meat, which is also called bacon or brisket.

Cut 1 kg of lard into large pieces, fill with a liter of water and boil for 3 minutes. Add 4.5 tbsp to the water. l. salt and leave lard in it for 12 hours. After that, dry the brisket with a towel and rub it with a spice mixture, which includes coarsely ground hot red pepper, turmeric, dried dill, a few cloves, bay leaves rubbed in the palms of your hands, cinnamon, nutmeg, suneli hops, coriander and white pepper. Wrap lard in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. For spicy lovers, this is the best delicacy!

Lard can be salted in onion skins and adjika, in a slow cooker or oven in a special baking sleeve. It always turns out to be very appetizing and tasty. And in Ukraine they cook lard in chocolate - this dessert is wildly popular among tourists. Ukrainian gourmets say correctly - no product can spoil bacon!

Salting lard, especially with meat layers, has long been revered as a matter of special importance. There are quite a few recipes on how to salt lard with a layer. We share a method that takes only a quarter of an hour and can be stored as long as you want.

To cook delicious lard with a layer, you will need:

• Fresh lard - calculation for 1kg. Choose layers so that their thickness is no more than 6-7 cm.

If you buy such a product on the market, ask how the skin was processed. Connoisseurs argue that scalding with hot steam is not the best option. The skin will then be tough. In the villages from time immemorial, an ordinary burner was used for this. Therefore, the skin remains soft and tender when salted.

• Garlic - about 1 head.
• Salt - necessarily large - about 100g.

Although this product cannot be oversalted! The structure is such that it absorbs exactly as much as needed.

• Condiments: a bag of ready-made spices is convenient to buy, but you can assemble the mix yourself if you take thyme, caraway seeds, a mixture of red, crushed allspice and black peppers, and lavrushka.

You can salt tasty, aromatic lard with a layer like this:

It is better to make a mixture for salting in advance. Toss the crushed spices with salt. It is better to cut the garlic into thin slices and use a knife to stick them evenly into the layers of bacon.

Keep in mind that garlic pickling does not imply long storage. If you want to salt for future use, do not stuff with garlic, but sprinkle or add snacks before serving.

Rub each piece thoroughly. Prepare a handy container for pickling. Be sure to pour salt and spices at the bottom. Spread the pieces with the sandpaper down, and the top layer, on the contrary, with the sandpaper up. Sprinkle the future snack with salt, spices and cover with a cotton towel or napkin.

For the first two days, let the lard be salted at room temperature, and then let it return to normal in the refrigerator. Usually, the product is ready for use after three days.

In villages, especially in Ukraine, lard was salted in oak or walnut barrels. The aroma from such a snack cannot be replaced by any spices. If possible, buy a small jug or barrel. You can salt the "pig's product" in different ways. Read recipe for salting lard in brine. Perhaps you will like this method better.

Watch the video, you will like "I suffer without fat"))) just below!

To choose the right lard, it's best to head to the market or farm store. First of all, pay attention to the color: it should be white or pinkish, but always uniform. The lard skin should be thin, smooth, free of bristles, and preferably with the mark of a veterinarian.

Smell the bacon. The smell of a fresh product is delicate, sweetish milky. The presence of a specific aroma indicates that the fat came from the boar. No spices can remove the smell, so it is better to refuse to buy.

Pierce the fat with a knife, fork, or match. If it pierces easily or with little resistance, the product deserves your approval.

After purchasing the lard, rinse with running water, dry well with a towel and start the cooking process.

What to salt lard with

With salt, garlic, bay leaves, caraway seeds, dill seeds, and even onion skins and sugar.

When salting, do not be afraid to overdo it with salt. The main advantage of lard is that it absorbs as much salt as it needs.

How to salt lard

At home, lard can be salted in three main ways:

By the way, whichever method you choose, you will need to store the finished bacon in the freezer.

• 1 kg of lard;
• 200 g of salt;
• 20 g of black pepper;
• ½ head of garlic.

Preparation

Cut the bacon into 4–5 cm wide cubes.

Make cross-cuts in each bar. The depth is slightly more than the middle of the piece.

Pour all the salt into a deep container. Put bacon there and rub well with salt on all sides.

Sprinkle with pepper on top. If desired, you can use a mixture of red and black.

And cut the garlic into slices 1–2 mm thick and place them in the slots on the pieces of bacon.

Transfer the bacon to a container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.

The fat is ready. It tastes best with black bread.

For further storage, peel off or wash off excess salt, wrap the bacon in a cloth, put it in a bag, and then in the freezer.

• 2 kg of lard;
• 5 glasses of water;
• 200 g of salt;
• 1 head of garlic;
• 4 bay leaves;
• peppercorns and other spices to taste.

Preparation

Rinse the bacon, dry and cut into small pieces so that they easily pass into the neck of the jar. The optimal piece thickness is 5 cm.

Prepare the brine. Pour 5 cups of water into a saucepan, add salt, put on fire and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool.

Cut the garlic into small pieces and rub the pieces of bacon with it. Rinse and dry bay leaves.

Place the bacon in a jar. Do not try to fold the pieces tightly: the bacon can go rancid. Shift the layers of bacon with bay leaves and black pepper.

After that, remove the bacon from the jar, pat dry with paper towels and rub with spices. You can use ground red pepper, cumin, paprika. Then wrap the bacon in paper or a bag and put it in the freezer. The lard will be ready in a day.

• 1 liter of water;
• 2 handfuls of onion skins
• 3 bay leaves;
• 200 g of salt;
• 2 tablespoons of sugar;
• 1 kg of lard with a layer;
• 4 allspice peas;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• paprika, a mixture of peppers - to taste.

Preparation

Pour water into a saucepan, add washed onion husks, bay leaves, salt, sugar. Bring the resulting mixture to a boil, put the bacon in it and cover with a plate so that it sinks in the liquid.

Bring the mixture to a boil again and then cook for another 20 minutes over low heat. Then remove the pan from heat, cool and place in a cool place for 12 hours.

Remove the bacon, dry it and rub with a mixture of chopped garlic, paprika and a mixture of peppers. Wrap the finished bacon in a plastic wrap or bag and place in the freezer.

Before serving, keep the bacon at room temperature for 5 minutes and cut into thin slices. This bacon is best combined with black bread and mustard.

To choose the right lard, it's best to head to the market or farm store. First of all, pay attention to the color: it should be white or pinkish, but always uniform. The lard skin should be thin, smooth, free of bristles, and preferably with the mark of a veterinarian.

Smell the bacon. The smell of a fresh product is delicate, sweetish milky. The presence of a specific aroma indicates that the fat came from the boar. No spices can remove the smell, so it is better to refuse to buy.

Pierce the fat with a knife, fork, or match. If it pierces easily or with little resistance, the product deserves your approval.

After purchasing the lard, rinse with running water, dry well with a towel and start the cooking process.

What to salt lard with

With salt, garlic, bay leaves, caraway seeds, dill seeds, and even onion skins and sugar.

When salting, do not be afraid to overdo it with salt. The main advantage of lard is that it absorbs as much salt as it needs.

How to salt lard

At home, lard can be salted in three main ways:

By the way, whichever method you choose, you will need to store the finished bacon in the freezer.

• 1 kg of lard;
• 200 g of salt;
• 20 g of black pepper;
• ½ head of garlic.

Preparation

Cut the bacon into 4–5 cm wide cubes.

Make cross-cuts in each bar. The depth is slightly more than the middle of the piece.

Pour all the salt into a deep container. Put bacon there and rub well with salt on all sides.

Sprinkle with pepper on top. If desired, you can use a mixture of red and black.

And cut the garlic into slices 1–2 mm thick and place them in the slots on the pieces of bacon.

Transfer the bacon to a container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.

The fat is ready. It tastes best with black bread.

For further storage, peel off or wash off excess salt, wrap the bacon in a cloth, put it in a bag, and then in the freezer.

• 2 kg of lard;
• 5 glasses of water;
• 200 g of salt;
• 1 head of garlic;
• 4 bay leaves;
• peppercorns and other spices to taste.

Preparation

Rinse the bacon, dry and cut into small pieces so that they easily pass into the neck of the jar. The optimal piece thickness is 5 cm.

Prepare the brine. Pour 5 cups of water into a saucepan, add salt, put on fire and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool.

Cut the garlic into small pieces and rub the pieces of bacon with it. Rinse and dry bay leaves.

Place the bacon in a jar. Do not try to fold the pieces tightly: the bacon can go rancid. Shift the layers of bacon with bay leaves and black pepper.

After that, remove the bacon from the jar, pat dry with paper towels and rub with spices. You can use ground red pepper, cumin, paprika. Then wrap the bacon in paper or a bag and put it in the freezer. The lard will be ready in a day.

• 1 liter of water;
• 2 handfuls of onion skins
• 3 bay leaves;
• 200 g of salt;
• 2 tablespoons of sugar;
• 1 kg of lard with a layer;
• 4 allspice peas;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• paprika, a mixture of peppers - to taste.

Preparation

Pour water into a saucepan, add washed onion husks, bay leaves, salt, sugar. Bring the resulting mixture to a boil, put the bacon in it and cover with a plate so that it sinks in the liquid.

Bring the mixture to a boil again and then cook for another 20 minutes over low heat. Then remove the pan from heat, cool and place in a cool place for 12 hours.

Remove the bacon, dry it and rub with a mixture of chopped garlic, paprika and a mixture of peppers. Wrap the finished bacon in a plastic wrap or bag and place in the freezer.

Before serving, keep the bacon at room temperature for 5 minutes and cut into thin slices. This bacon is best combined with black bread and mustard.

How to soften lard?

Did you get hard salted lard? Are you disappointed and want to give it to the dogs? Not worth it. It can still be saved by using a meat grinder or boiling in marinade or plain water. You should not give up right away, you need to try all the options for correcting the situation.

It is clear that before salting, you need to choose good lard so that it is soft, and not stony. But what to do if you have already bought ready-made salted meat, but it is impossible to bite off it. What will have to be thrown away?

You can pick up several options for correcting the situation.

Hard bacon can be scrolled in a meat grinder, adding garlic and ground pepper, and eat like a pate.

Lard can be boiled in onion skins, with the addition of bay leaves and peppercorns. So lard is cooked for 15 minutes, and after cooling, it is left in the refrigerator for one day.

Tough salted lard can be grated with lard seasoning, put in a plastic bag, tied tightly, and cooked until tender, that is, as much as it takes to soften it.

Lard, boiled and twisted in a meat grinder, can be stored for a long time in the freezer, and, as needed, can be taken out and eaten.

Smiru's kitchen

• 300-500 gr freshly salted lard
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 pcs bay leaves

I present to the judgment of those who like to cook another recipe from a series of what can be made from lard. According to this recipe, any fat, even the toughest, is prepared, or vice versa - a tender subgirdle with a slot, a layer of meat. You can also cook cheeks. I don't know how real bacon is made, but I call this bacon, because it turns out to be spicy, aromatic and tasty. It can be taken on a hike, on a trip, on a trip to the forest, as lunch while working in the field. We learned the recipe from my brother, who went to hunt wild boar with other hunters, and they had dinner at a halt. One of the guys had such fat with him. My brother liked it so much that he brought a piece for mom to try and ordered to do the same.

Of course, my mother did not think long about how it was prepared, she figured out the secret and shared the recipe for bacon with me afterwards. What I did - you can see in these photos.

Now - step by step how to cook bacon. We take a piece of bacon, better cut off with a narrow strip, but any shape is possible. If the fat is fresh, let it dry thoroughly and then plant it. Rub the salted bacon generously with black pepper, rub the cloves of garlic on a fine grater or crush, rub the sides of the bacon with garlic. We make slits and put a couple of bay leaves in them. Now we leave the bacon overnight in the refrigerator so that it absorbs a little all the aromas and spices.

The next day we build an impromptu double boiler. Whoever has a real one, so much the better. Dip the bacon in a colander or a mesh with holes and place it in a saucepan, into which a sufficient amount of water is poured. We put the pan on the fire, bring it to a boil and time it. From the moment the water boils, the bacon is steamed from 40 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the quality of the bacon. If it is a tender and soft lard, you can cook it for 40 minutes or an hour. If the fat is tough and hard, then you can cook for a couple of hours. The readiness of the bacon is determined with a fork: if the bacon is pierced easily, then the bacon is ready.

Why is this ingenious way of steaming lard so convenient? Firstly, it is not saturated with water, and secondly, the salt from the bacon is not washed out during the steaming process, it will not turn out to be lightly salted. And thirdly, and most importantly, all the seasonings remain on the lard, they are not washed off with water.

In fact, the word fat - means a dish of salted bacon, and comes from the Polish szpik - subcutaneous fat, or the German Speck, which translates simply as "bacon". Often a synonym for bacon is shpig, meaning that the bacon is stuffed with spices.

100 g of lard contains about 770 kcal. Lard contains exactly those fats useful for the human body that melt at body temperature, since it is they that are digested and absorbed faster and easier than others. Similar fats are also found in peanut butter.

Polyunsaturated arachidonic acid is the most valuable of all fatty acids, and it is found only in lard.