What is Lard used for?

BrandNewDay

Thanks for all your help in the margarine v. butter thread. I have tried Stork in a cake and it was really, really good, as well as much cheaper.

However, Tesco Value lard is about the same price and, being a natural animal fat, would be much healthier. Can lard be used to bake cakes? Or scones?

TIA

squeaky

I use lard in scones and in pastry, but haven't really tried it in cakes. I've got a few recipes that use oil too, so I should think it's possible to use lard (unless it leaves a funny taste in what is meant to be a sweet cake?) or maybe use it half and half with butter?

No doubt some smarty pants will be along soon with some expert advice

Penelope_Penguin

squeaky wrote: »

No doubt some smarty pants will be along soon with some expert advice

Did someone call

Lard makes absolutely the best pastry.

I'd dispute the fact that lard will be "much healthier" than margarine. It's a saturated fat, with strong links to heart disease. I don't think that you can substitiute it in cakes, thought you can make that delicious tea-time treat - Lardy Cake :drool: :drool: :drool:

Penny. x

BrandNewDay

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

Did someone call

Lard makes absolutely the best pastry.

I'd dispute the fact that lard will be "much healthier" than margarine. It's a saturated fat, with strong links to heart disease. I don't think that you can substitiute it in cakes, thought you can make that delicious tea-time treat - Lardy Cake :drool: :drool: :drool:

Penny. x

Lard is better for you than margarine, which would be a trans fat. (Well, it's not entirely clear. Some of them have combined vegetable oil with small amounts of saturated fats (Palm Oil) to avoid being a trans fat, but there are still objections to vegetable/corn/canola oil) And, since butter is also a saturated fat, baking with lard shouldn't sound any more alarming than baking with butter. Most people think a cake made with butter sounds wholesome.

A lot of the research into saturated fats has been re-examined and questioned.

The recent boom of obesity and heart disease is, I think, much more closely related to cheap sugar (in America, even cheaper high-fructose corn syrup), cheap trans-fats, and fried foods (heating even natural fats to deep-fry temperature alters them and makes them act like trans fats.)

When it comes to high-fructose corn syrup and corn oil, remember that maize is very heavily subsidized by the American government, and shortening is cheaper than any animal fat and increases shelf life. So, I would assume the lobbying interests who need to promote continued subsidies of their industry will attempt to cloud the issues regarding trans fats and HFCS.

pink.1970

I remember my Nan using half lard half marg in her pastry. I can taste it now just thinking about it...she used to make lovely jam tarts and lemon curd tarts. I only used lard for roasting my potatoes.

thriftlady_2

BrandNewDay wrote: »

The recent boom of obesity and heart disease is, I think, much more closely related to cheap sugar (in America, even cheaper high-fructose corn syrup), cheap trans-fats, and fried foods (heating even natural fats to deep-fry temperature alters them and makes them act like trans fats.)

Exactly :T after all if animal fats caused heart disease then why weren't we all dying of it before the invention of fake fats -margarine. The first recorded case of heart disease was in 1912 -after millenia of human consumption of animal fat.

BrandNewDay

Well, to be fair, another reason why heart disease increased is due to more people living longer instead of being struck down by typhoid in childhood.

wyebird

BrandNewDay wrote: »

Well, to be fair, another reason why heart disease increased is due to more people living longer instead of being struck down by typhoid in childhood.

And because generally we do not need to have as much food and we do not do work which invloves physical labour.
For Victorian working men the primary diet was often potatoes and lard and they consumed more calories a day on average then we do, but they needed it if they were digging out a canal or suchlike!
We need to balance input and output, and not resort to chemical confections just so we can consume more. The thought of that oil which passes straight through the body, can't think of the name, seems absolutely gross to me. Rather have a bit of lard in my pastry, and a smaller piece of pie!

Pink.

Hi Brandnewday,

There's an earlier thread on using lard that should be useful so I've added your thread to it to keep all the suggestions together.

These threads may interest you too:

Lard

Is lard essential?????

Lard

Pink

Nitha

I use it for my pastry. And I often use a little when roasting pork.