Pork Fats & Lard

Lard is the rendered fat of the pig, used as a cooking fat for centuries before vegetable oils became dominant. It has a neutral flavour when properly rendered and a high smoke point, making it excellent for frying, roasting, and baking.

In pastry, lard produces exceptionally flaky crusts — many bakers consider it superior to butter for pie dough and sausage rolls. It was the standard cooking fat in Australian kitchens well into the mid-twentieth century and is now seeing renewed interest as attitudes toward animal fats shift.

The quality of lard varies depending on which fat deposits it comes from. Leaf lard, rendered from the fat around the kidneys, is the most prized for baking due to its clean flavour and fine texture. Back fat and other deposits produce a more general-purpose cooking lard.