Tell me more ×
Seasoned Advice is a question and answer site for professional and amateur chefs. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 4 down vote favorite

What is the difference between "rendered pork fat", lard, and bacon fat?

I've seen lots of references to rendered pork fat in the Momofuku cookbook, references to lard in one of my Schezuan cookbooks, and well everyone knows bacon fat... so what is the difference ? Can you substitute them ?

share|improve this question

2 Answers

up vote 3 down vote

Not a lot, bacon is basically smoked pork (the process/recipe depends on where you live)

Fat does not actually change in flavour as much as the flesh does when smoked

"Rendered fat" is just the fat that has run off when heating meat. It should be pure fat

Lard is just a common word for animal fat, in this case pork fat

In Asian cooking if it specifies pork fat I would use that. Most Schezuan recipes are not smokey flavour based, so it may be noticeable, and appear unusual

share|improve this answer
Bacon pork cured by salting not smoke. It may or may not be smoked as well as salted. The salting will change the taste of the fat as moisture will be drawn out. – Rincewind42 Nov 16 '11 at 13:14
@Rincewind42 Salting and smoking meat effects the flesh (protein) of the meat, not the fat. Salt does not significantly change fat any more that adding some salt to the final dish would. Rendered fat should not have any moisture in it – TFD Nov 17 '11 at 5:34
Incorrect. Salting, as done for bacon or ham, requires leaving the meat in the salt for several days or even weeks. The salt causes an osmosis effect that draws water out of the cells, drying the meat. This has simlar effect on all cells, wither fat cells or meat cells. – Rincewind42 Nov 17 '11 at 13:36
Animal fat is 90%+ triglycerides, some other bits, and a few % water. When rendered the water is released. So as per OP this is equivalent – TFD Nov 17 '11 at 20:22
1  
Dumb question - if lard and rendered pork fat are the same, how come the lard I bought is bone white and the rendered pork fat I saved (from cooking pork belly) is brownish? – Marcus Nov 18 '11 at 15:55
show 1 more comment
up vote 1 down vote

@Marcus A bit late here, but to answer "how come the lard I bought is bone white and the rendered pork fat I saved (from cooking pork belly) is brownish?" It is because the fat you saved from cooking probably has little bits of cooked meat in it. This is especially true if you fried it in a skillet. When I make bacon, I slow cook it in the oven on a wire rack placed in a baking dish. The fat collects in the baking dish, and once poured int a jar and cooled, it is also pure white.

share|improve this answer
A lot of store-bought lard is rendered with water or steam to help remove non-fat particles. Also many commercially available lards are either partially or fully hydrogenated in order to extend shelf life and stability at room temperature even further than straight rendering can. – Didgeridrew Aug 3 '12 at 3:38

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.