Lard, the Forgotten Ingredient

When you buy a package of thighs or a pack of chops, are you thinking well what about the rest of it? We pride ourselves in taking a nose to tail approach with all of our animals here on the farm. We do not take the act of processing them lightly, so we want to honor them in the best way we know how and that is making sure we utilize every single part that we can.

One of the most underrated cuts on our pigs is the fat. There is leaf fat and there is back fat. Once rendered down, you have lard. Leaf fat is going to give you the more neutral fat profile while back fat is going to give you that more “pork-y” fat profile. Either way, they are both versatile.

Once you have your rendered back fat turned into lard, try making:

King’s Rest Farm Premium Grilled Cheese

What You Will Need

Skillet

Spatula

Ingredients

Kings Rest Farm Lard rendered from backfat

Cheese of your choice

Bread of your choice

Instructions

1. If your bread isn’t pre-sliced then you will need to slice your bread

2. Melt a tablespoon (or two depending on how big your skillet is) in the skillet.

Evenly spreading it across the skillet. (Note: You will want a little extra melted

lard in the skillet so the bread can absorb some of it, but not to much!)

3. Place one slice of bread in the skillet over medium-low heat and layer your

favorite cheese on top of the bread

4. Place the second slice of bread on top of the cheese

5. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side or until the bread is golden brown and the

cheese is melted and gooey

6. Once its done, take a spatula and remove from the pan and enjoy!

• Want to really up your grilled cheese game? Try adding a few slices of bacon. You won’t regret it

If you went the leaf fat route, then go ahead and give this a whirl:

King’s Rest Farm Lard Chocolate Chip Cookies

What You Will Need

Sheet Pan

Mixing Bowls

Measuring cups

Ingredients

1 cup of Kings Rest Farm Lard rendered from leaf fat at room temperature

1 cup of white sugar

1 cup of brown sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

3 cups of flour

12oz of chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Cream the lard and sugars until the mixture is fluffy and fully combined

2. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until everything is combined

3. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt

4. Fold the chocolate chips in

5. Chill the dough for an hour

6. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees farenheit

7. Use a cookie scoop, your hands, or a spoon to scoop medium sized balls of

dough onto the cookie sheet

8. Bake for 10-12 minutes

9. Cool on a wire and enjoy!