Homemade Lard

Name: Homemade Lard
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 32 (2 cups)
Ingredients: 2 lbs pork back fat

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Lard is making a comeback! Here's an easy way to make a home rendered batch that's much cleaner and healthier than storebought lard.

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Chop up the pork back fat into evenly sized chunks, approx. 1/2 inch sized. There is wiggle room on the exact size but try to be consistent so that the pieces will cook evenly.
Add 2 tablespoons of tap water to a sauce pan, this will prevent some initial sticking and will eventually burn off.
Add the fat pieces to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat. It's best to draw the fat out slowly so don't worry if nothing much happens for the first 10-15 minutes.
Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When you start to get a pool of fat in the pan, strain some of it off through a fine mesh sieve. Doing this occasionally can expedite the process as it will allow the solid bits to have more direct contact with the pan. Use caution when pouring the hot fat as spills can be dangerous. I typically pour it into a large, stress-free bowl for now. Once cooled you'll be transferring it to your storage container of choice. Wipe off any fat that is dripping down your cooking pan after pouring.
Continue cooking the fat until it no longer produces any more liquid. That took close to 90 minutes for this batch.
Strain the final bit of liquid into your holding container and let it cool on the counter.
The leftover bits of fat are pork chicharones, you can save these for munching if you want to!
Once cooled you can transfer the lard to your storage container of choice. I typically use a pint-sized Mason jar.
Store the lard in the fridge where it will keep for months at a time.