Lard is made from 100 percent animal fat (usually pork) that has been separated from the meat. Most lard is made through a process called rendering, whereby the fatty parts of the pig (such as the belly, butt, and shoulder) are cooked slowly until the fat is melted.
Lard, also known as animal fat, is found in many unsuspecting foods, making them off-limits for vegans and vegetarians. The good news is that in the case of lard, most of the time homemade options can be made by substituting non-animal fat products to make these foods vegetarian friendly.
Beef tallow is basically the same thing as lard, except it is made from cows rather than pigs. This produces a similar fat that can work well in many recipes. One big difference between these two animal fats is the taste though. Beef tallow has a distinct meat flavor that is not found in lard.
Lard also has cholesterol, she notes, as do all animal fats. And that 45 percent fat can still be a lot, depending on how much you eat. Add to this that lard sold in supermarkets is often hydrogenated, to make it shelf stable, and you've got a product with cholesterol, trans fats, and saturated fat, too.
Lard Varieties
Rendered lard is pork fat that has been melted, then filtered, and chilled. Processed lard has been melted, filtered, and then hydrogenated to make it shelf-stable. Leaf lard is made from the visceral fat that encircles the pig's kidneys, and is considered the highest grade of lard.
Used as a cooking fat for centuries, lard fell out of favor when hydrogenated vegetable shortening was invented in the early 20th century. We now know that hydrogenated fats, also called trans fats, may increase the risk of heart disease.
No pork and no lard are enough to guarantee a product is halal. For a product to be considered halal, it must also be made with ingredients permissible under Islamic law. It includes animal sources slaughtered according to Islamic law and components free of prohibited substances, such as alcohol, pork, and lard.
Nutrition: Lard vs olive oil
When considering nutrition, olive oil is generally considered a healthier choice. However, it's important to consume any fat in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Yes, that's right lard has 20 percent less saturated fat than butter; it's also higher in monounsaturated fats, which are good for cardiovascular health. Lard is also rich in oleic acid, the same fatty acid that is in olive oil and praised for its health benefits.
“Based on this analysis, it would be a safe argument to make that lard is a healthier choice than butter because we know that monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids are considered particularly helpful to our bodies and good for our hearts.”
Lard or sometimes referred to as pork lard is a traditional cooking oil for many Chinese recipes. We use pork lard to cook vegetables, noodles, and even steamed buns for quite a long story.
Vegetable shortening is solid fat or lard most commonly known in Australia as Copha which is often used in place of butter or margarine.
Lard has a lower saturated fat content, making it a better option than coconut oil. However, that doesn't mean coconut oil cannot bring health benefits. For example, its high medium-chain triglyceride content (MCTs) increases the production of ketones, which promotes weight loss.
Can I buy lard from a butcher? Yes—and it's much more likely that the lard you purchase there has not been hydrogenated. You can also ask your local butcher for a piece of back fat to take home so you can render on your own. It's easier than you think.
Lard is a good source of fats that support a healthy heart
Another compelling reason to use pork lard is heart health. After olive oil, which consists of 77 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, lard has the most monounsaturated fats at 48 percent.
The only non-vegetarian additive in yogurt is gelatin, as for what we know today. "There's no actual meat in the yogurt, but the gelatin is derived from animals," she explains, which can be considered to not be vegetarian, depending on how strictly you follow a vegetarian diet.
Isn't lard full of the saturated fat that doctors warn can clog up your arteries? Well, not really. Saturated fat makes up only about 40% of the fat in lard and actually isn't as bad for your health as doctors used to think. In fact, many experts now argue that eating saturated fat is good for overall health.
Overall evidences show that both saturated (SF) and unsaturated fatty acids (USF) from lard can attenuate inflammation by activating PPAR-γ. Silencing PPAR-γ abrogates their anti-inflammatory effects in vitro.
Ghee contains fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D, and K. Lard contains Vitamin D and B, but not the other vitamins of Ghee butter. In the fatty acid profile, lard does not have CLA, which means lard cannot contribute to weight-loss dietary support. If you wonder if “is lard healthy” or not, ghee is healthier than lard.
Oils with more monounsaturated fats, such as rapeseed and olive, are also less susceptible to heat. Rapeseed oil (often sold as generic vegetable oil) and inexpensive olive oil are therefore the best choices for cooking. All cooking fats add fat and calories to your diet.
While they come from the same animal, bacon fat and lard differ in taste and function. Bacon fat has a smoky taste, while lard—rendered fat from the pig—has a neutral flavor. You can use bacon fat to add flavor to baked goods, gravies, and sautés, but lard primarily adds texture to fried or baked foods.
On the other hand, when it comes to frying foods, pork lard is seen as a healthier alternative to sunflower oil. Why? Because it is a source of unsaturated animal fat, 100% natural, and contains oleic acid, a fatty acid beneficial for the body, especially in the case of depression.
Islam teaches that pigs are unclean and eating pork is a sin, and some Muslims feel selling or handling pork is also forbidden because it would make them complicit in the sins of others.
Prohibition in Islamic law
There are different schools of thought in Islam that offer different opinions on eating meat other than pork, which is unanimously forbidden.
Quintessentially, the Torah explicitly declares the pig unclean, because it has cloven hooves but does not ruminate.