What is Lard used for?

~Chameleon~

LameWolf wrote: »

Fwiw, I use butter in pastry, and do roasties in sunflower oil. Lard never has, and never will have a place in my fridge. *shudders*

Sunflower oil is a polyunsaturate and contains high levels of omega 6 which can be harmful, increasing risk of cancer, inflammatory conditions and has even been linked to dementia. If used regularly you need to ensure you take a high dose of omega 3 to balance it out.

Lard is actually far healthier than sunflower oil but if you want a healthier oil try rapeseed.

~Chameleon~

BrandNewDay wrote: »

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.

Just realised this is an old thread but this post highlights my point exactly and although written 4 years ago was recently the subject of an expose documentary on tv and is something nutritionists have been trying to tell everyone for many years now!

ragz_2

Lard is great to take camping/caravanning to use for frying as it's hard so it won't spill everywhere.

It's lovely for frying eggs, I must try it for pastry...

I totally agree that saturated fat is not evil, it's these awful 'marge' things we get sucked into buying...

APennySaved

{ BTW, I have already posted this comment at another thread ('Lard': http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=54915507&postcount=49), but as this thread ('What is Lard used for?') seems longer/popular I have re-posted it here. Apologies if anyone reads it twice! }

Just by the by:

I went out yesterday to buy some lard from Tesco (having read this thread & the variety of MSE forum's other threads on the subject!), but found a Morrison's first. I thought 'Why not, they might have it as much as anybody...'. And was delighted to find a whole range!! of solid cooking fats on sale.

I have posted some images of Morrison's stock online, at URL :

http://s1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff424/In-The-Frame/My_lord_its_lard/
In case it helps, I photo'd the prices (!) as well as the items.
. . . And yes, after a while of photographing, the Morrison's manager did look at me a bit suspiciously, but - hey - we've got to get the info out there in the 'public domain' :money: somehow, right?!?! (Anyway it looks like Morrison's have done us proud, with this range of products, so they have nothing to complain about! )

There was a whole shelf full of a range of all the different types of solid fats - lard, dripping, vege-fats, & blends, etc. Great stuff. :T