RENDERING LARD CRACKLINGS RECIPES

Steps:

• Chop the fat into ¾-inch cubes and place in a small covered saucepan set over low heat. Add ½ cup water and bring to a simmer. Stir after 30 minutes. Continue to cook, letting it bubble, and stir from time to time. When the water boils off, render for about 2 hours. The lard will clarify, and the cracklings will shrivel and shrink. As it cooks, watch and listen: turn down the heat or take the pan off the heat if it smokes or if the lard starts to brown.
• When the cracklings are lightly golden and have almost stopped bubbling, remove them and drain on paper towels or a brown paper bag. Strain the lard through a cheesecloth into a jar or bowl, where it will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for several weeks. Try a crackling. If it is not crunchy and appetizing, crisp the rest on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Season if you’d like, then cool on paper towels. Cracklings, well drained and lightly covered, will keep at room temperature for at least a week.

Steps:

• Clean and trim off any meats on the fats.
• Blanch the pork fats for 5 minutes.
• Rinse blanched pork fats until can handle with hands.
• Cut pork fats into 1cm cubes.
• With a frying pan, fry pork fats over high heat.
• Stir occasionally to prevents burn.
• As the fats begin to emulsify into lard, add crushed ginger.
• When the fats begin to turn brown, lower the heat to low heat.
• Continue frying until the fats has become completely golden brown and the pork fats does not bubble anymore.
• If you have any left over pork lard, add them in at this step.
• Otherwise, skip and go to step number (12).
• Switch off the heat and remove ginger.
• Transfer pork lard into a container alongside with the fats cracklings.