Well, what Russian feast can do without a thin piece of aromatic and juicy lard? And also with boiled potatoes with butter, green onion, pickled cucumber, pink salmon of black bread and a glass of white wine... Before you start salivating excessively, let's talk about lard.
Lard is a unique product that contains a huge amount of fatty acids necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. Lard is a healthy and tasty snack, without which not a single holiday is complete in many Slavic homes. In ancient times, lard was considered the food of poor people. People with wealth could afford to buy expensive pork meat, and all the fat went to those who were not so rich. Over time, the poor began to notice that the fat they ate gave them a lot of energy. Even a small piece of this product provided a person with stamina and long-term performance.
Today, lard is taken on long trips; athletes, tourists and astronauts eat it. Salted lard can be stored without refrigeration and not spoil; a small volume of this product can feed a large number of people. And most importantly, lard provides energy for more than 4 hours. After eating a sandwich with lard, you will not remember about eating until your next meal.
Today, the range of lard in markets and stores is very wide. You can buy salted, smoked, fried, stewed and boiled lard. However, the most delicious, valuable and nutritious product is the one you prepare with your own hands. So, before salting lard, you need to buy it.
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How to choose lard for salting
Head to the market or supermarket to choose the tastiest and freshest piece of lard, following our tips.
- Lard from one pig can vary in density. For example, lard from the neck and head has the hardest structure and is most suitable for baking. Hams, on the contrary, have very soft and porous lard, which is best used for minced meat. But the loin and peritoneum are exactly the fat that we need. It has a delicate taste and a suitable density for pickling.
- It is better to buy lard with skin, that is, unrefined. Scientists have proven that the most useful pieces of lard are the layer under the skin about three centimeters thick.
- A piece of lard should be homogeneous, sufficiently elastic, without a strong foreign odor.
- The most delicious lard comes from females, not males.
- The lard should be whitish or pinkish in color, without yellow tints or inclusions. If the lard is yellow, it means it is old. By the way, it is the old pieces of lard that are salted and generously sprinkled with spices. By preparing the delicacy yourself, you control what kind of lard is used for salting.
- To select good lard, ask the seller to pierce it with a knife. High-quality lard will pierce immediately, it is elastic, the cut will be clear and even. Old lard will crumple and will not pierce immediately, but after compression it will take a long time to return to its shape.
- Quite often, lard smells like urea, and this smell is quite persistent. Sometimes it is not noticeable when purchasing, but is felt only after cooking the lard. To check the smell of lard in advance, you need to cut off a piece of fat and heat it on a burning match or lighter. Lard with a smell will immediately manifest itself when melted.
- A little about the streaks of meat in lard. If the pig was fed naturally, without growth hormones and foreign additives, there will be no streaks in the fat. In addition, microorganisms and bacteria can multiply in raw meat, while they are practically absent in fat. To avoid food poisoning and choose a healthier product, you need to buy pure lard, without meat layers. Or with a minimum number of them. If you prefer lard with pieces of meat, it will need to be heat treated.
- Check the lard for streaks and solid particles. On the reverse side, stick a match into the lard. If the lard is tender and soft, the match will go in easily. If it is hard, tough and streaky, the match will enter the lard in fits and starts.
- And be sure to check for a mark on the pig’s skin. Only this seal will tell you that the carcass has passed laboratory tests and is safe to eat.
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Video - How to dry-salt lard
The author of this video took a very responsible approach to salting lard. He will explain everything to you, from choosing seasonings to tasting the finished product. I offer you this video for viewing. It will be especially useful for those who are preparing this dish for the first time!
Salted lard is an excellent appetizer for any feast. And just at dinner, put it on bread and eat a plate of borscht! What could be more beautiful?!
Of course, you can buy it at the supermarket. After all, the choice is now very large. You may even be able to find very tasty salted lard in store windows. But it will cost accordingly! It is much more profitable, tastier and healthier to make it at home.
If you have homemade lard, then that's even better. You can definitely know that it is fresh and of high quality. But you can also buy it, the main thing is to choose a good one.
I hope my selection helped you and your product will turn out very tasty and tender! Take the article to your social networks so as not to lose it when you want to add more salt!
Come visit us more often! I wish you success! See you soon!
Today we will look into a seemingly common question. I suggest salting the lard so that everything turns out great. To make it extraordinarily tasty, and of course soft, it’s also important. To do this, you need to know some nuances and tricks that will easily give you the desired effect. Do you think this is impossible to do at home? You are wrong.
We will figure it out and experiment, because there are many recipes, and each one will suit their own. For example, I like it dry salted, but my mother likes it in brine. In general, our dad prefers to eat lard with a certain smoky flavor, which can be obtained by cooking it in onion skins.
How do you usually salt? Write your comments below the article.
I would like to note right away that it is better to take lard from the abdominal cavity or back, and so that there are layers of meat. And of course, if it is grown by farmers or a grandmother in the village, that is, your own homemade one, you will not find a tastier option for pickling. Because it will be without chemical additives and other nonsense and preservatives. And the skin will be soft and delicate, and also very thin, which will undoubtedly please you.
Classic recipe for salting lard
So, let's look at the simplest and most common recipe for salting lard.
- If you bought a large piece of lard, you need to cut it into medium cubes 5-6 cm wide.
- After this, it is necessary to make transverse cuts on each block so as not to completely cut the lard. This is done to ensure that the delicacy is completely salted.
- Roll each piece of lard in plenty of salt. Do not shake off the salt; the lard will absorb as much as it needs.
- Mix 2 parts black pepper and one part red hot pepper in a plate. After rolling the lard in salt, dip it in the prepared pepper mixture.
- Place garlic cloves cut into slices between the cuts.
- After this, wrap the lard in cling film and place in the refrigerator. After 4-5 days it is ready to eat.
- When the lard is salted, for long-term storage it must be cleared of salt and pepper and wrapped in a clean cloth. After this, put the fabric bundle in a bag and in the refrigerator. In this way, lard can be stored for quite a long time - up to two months. If you salt lard for future use in large quantities, you need to store it in the freezer. Long-term freezing will help preserve lard for more than a year.
This is the simplest and most famous way of salting lard. Here are some more interesting recipes that will help you prepare delicious savory lard without much effort.
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How to salt lard with garlic
- Preparation time: 10 days.
- Number of servings: 40 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 816 kcal.
- Purpose: for a snack.
- Cuisine: Ukrainian.
- Difficulty of preparation: medium.
The recipe for salting lard with garlic will help you learn how to prepare a spicy, aromatic dish. You shouldn’t skimp on garlic heads and salt for it, because the product absorbs exactly the amount needed and doesn’t take in excess. It’s delicious to eat cooked bacon with hot pickle, or as a snack for an afternoon snack or before a late dinner. The beneficial properties will remain even after freezing.
Ingredients:
- lard - 2 kg;
- garlic - head;
- black peppercorns - 10 g;
- coarse salt - a glass.
Cooking method:
Cut the bacon into pieces, rub with a mixture of crushed garlic, ground pepper and salt. Sprinkle the bottom of an enamel or ceramic pan with salt, lay out the remaining spices, and add bacon. Sprinkle salt on top, close the lid, and leave for 10 days on the refrigerator shelf.
Salting lard in brine
This recipe will allow you to pickle lard in 6-8 hours. If you find out in the morning that guests will come to you in the evening, you can have time to salt the lard yourself.
To prepare the brine, you need to dissolve a glass of salt in a liter of water. Add 15-20 bay leaves to the container and bring the water to a boil.
While the brine is cooling, cut the lard into pieces (the indicated proportions of salt and water will require two kilograms of lard) and grind it with black pepper and garlic. Place the lard in the cooled brine and throw in the remaining garlic. Cover the lard with a plate and pressure so that it is better salted and does not float.
In 6-8 hours the lard will be ready. It will need to be removed from the brine. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Lard in brine - the most delicious recipe with garlic at home
Ingredients for brine filling for 1 liter/1.5 liters/2 liters/3 liters.
- Pork lard - 500 grams
- Bay leaf (pcs) – 2/3/4/6
- Allspice peas (pcs) – 16/24/32/48
- Black peppercorns (tsp) - 1/1.5/2/3
- Garlic (tooth) – 8/12/16/24
- Salt for salting (tbsp.) - 8/12/16/24
Cooking lard in brine
We take all the ingredients on the basis that a piece of lard will be 0.5 kg, then 1 liter of water will be needed for pouring.
First of all, before salting, you need to prepare the lard.
To do this, wash the piece, clean it well, and scrape off the skin. Then dry with a paper towel.
Cut into medium sized pieces. We proceed from the volume of the container for salting, a jar or pan.
Salting lard in Ukrainian
Prepare lard as in the first recipe. That is, a kilogram of lard needs to be cut into strips 3-4 cm wide. Then transverse cuts are made into which bay leaves and thinly sliced garlic cloves are placed. After this, you need to mix 4 tablespoons of salt, a teaspoon of hot pepper, the same amount of cumin, two teaspoons of paprika and a tablespoon of ground black pepper. Roll the lard in the prepared seasoning mixture and wrap the pieces in foil. Leave in the refrigerator for two weeks. During this time, the lard will absorb all the taste and aroma of the spices. After this, the lard can be unwrapped and cut into thin pieces. As soon as you unwrap the foil, you will smell a crazy salty lard smell. And the taste will delight you even more!
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Salo in adjika
- Preparation time: 2 days.
- Number of servings: 20 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 820 kcal.
- Purpose: for a snack.
- Cuisine: Ukrainian.
- Difficulty of preparation: medium.
Spicy lovers will love the taste of lard with adjika. The process involves the use of ready-made store-bought adjika, which is better to take the hottest one, but you can coat it with bacon and homemade preparations with a fiery taste, prepared yourself. In any case, you will get a scalding dish that will literally “burn” in your mouth. Gourmets will appreciate it.
Ingredients:
- lard - 1 kg;
- garlic - 5 cloves;
- adjika - glass;
- bay leaf - 3 pcs.;
- salt - 100 g.
Method of preparation: Cut the bacon into cubes, stuff it with garlic slices, coat it with adjika, sprinkle with salt. Place on the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with ground bay leaf and remaining garlic. Salt for 2 days in a warm room, wrap in film, and store in the freezer.
Salting lard with onion skins in a slow cooker
This is an interesting recipe for stewed salted lard, which will allow you to enjoy the delicate taste and aroma of this delicacy.
For one kilogram of lard you will need a glass of salt, two glasses of onion peels, a liter of water, 5-7 bay leaves, garlic, pepper, sugar. Place a layer of onion peels (half of the total mass) in the multicooker bowl. The husk is pre-washed. Lard and bay leaf are laid out on it. Everything is covered with the remnants of onion peels. Dissolve two tablespoons of sugar and salt in hot water. Pour the prepared brine over the lard. Simmer lard in a slow cooker for about an hour. After this, leave the lard in the prepared marinade overnight. In the morning, remove the lard from the brine, grate with chopped garlic and pepper, and place in the freezer. After a day you can eat lard.
Lard is a favorite product of many peoples. Most Slavs cannot imagine their life without a daily layer of salted lard. Our recipes will help you prepare a natural and healthy product with your own hands.
How to cook lard with a layer of meat
- Preparation time: 3 days.
- Number of servings: 20 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 812 kcal.
- Purpose: for a snack.
- Cuisine: Ukrainian.
- Difficulty of preparation: medium.
It will be useful for culinary specialists to learn how to deliciously salt lard with a layer. This recipe will help you understand how to do it correctly so that you get a tasty, aromatic product that is characterized by increased calorie content and health benefits due to the content of fatty acids. A serving size of 20-30 g daily will help maintain health, maintain cholesterol levels and give the body the necessary vitamins. The homemade recipe suggests that the dish is simple to prepare.
Ingredients:
- fresh lard - 1 kg;
- garlic - head;
- coarse salt - 100 g;
- spices - package.
Method of preparation: Cut the garlic into slices and place them in slits on the surface of the semi-finished product. Rub each piece with spices and salt, place on a layer of salt in a pan, skin side down. Sprinkle with spices and cover with a cloth towel. Salt in the room for 2 days, and in the cold for another 1 day.
How to salt lard in adjika
Compound:
- a kilogram of regular lard;
- 6 cloves of garlic;
- regular salt;
- dry adjika (or seasoning for pickles);
- bay leaf;
- pepper mixture.
How to salt lard in adjika:
Rinse the lard a little, scrape off the blood and dirt from the skin. Cut the lard into squares no larger than five centimeters in size and roll in salt on all sides. Now let's salt lard at home, take a deep enamel pan or bowl and put a layer of salt on the bottom. Place the chopped lard on top, skin side down.
Sprinkle plenty of salt on top of the lard and distribute pre-peeled and finely chopped garlic evenly. Rub the bay leaf with your hands and place it between the pieces of lard. Cover the container with a lid and leave at room temperature for about three or four hours.
The liquid that is released during salting of lard does not need to be drained. After a few hours, wash off excess salt and garlic from the lard and remove the chopped bay leaves. Blot excess moisture on pieces of lard using napkins or paper towels. Rub the lard slices with dry adjika and a mixture of peppers. Wrap each piece in prepared food foil and place in the refrigerator. For longer storage, place in the freezer.
