I finally have written down my recipe/method for rendering lard in a crock pot. This method is very safe and EASY to do. Please go to my recipe page for the method and photos.
When I was a young girl, living on a dairy farm in southern Minnesota, I would help my Mom render hog fat to make lard. She used a double boiler on the wood stove! I found using a crock pot is much better and safer! I grew up in a house that processed foods from the garden, drinking raw milk from the cows, and eating meat raised on our farm. I thought eating a frozen pizza from the store was a treat and having a can of pop on a Saturday night was special.
Anyway, because lard has such a high melting point, about 168 degrees, I believe, frying with lard is great! The lard can be at a high enough temp that it does not soak into the meat that you are frying, and make the food greasy. The lard does not burn, unlike butter at a high heat. In my 4-H days we baked bread and dinner rolls for the fair. I learned of the lost water method for measuring lard, without leaving part of it in the measuring cup! Look for that post and try that method out sometime! Dawn
