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| SPANISH
LARD |
FOOD
& COOKING ARTICLE |
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Is
Lard Good For You? Iberico Lard – the new alternative
to goose fat
by
Orce Serrano Hams
 There
is much debate about the increasing popularity of lard
in modern cooking - having gained a reputation for being
"bad for you" lard is now making a comeback
. . .
So what is lard?
Lard is basically pork fat, unlike its counterpart
beef dripping lard always comes from the pig. Lard
is a very pure product as the pig fat undergoes filtering
- this is achieved by heating the fat, filtering and
then leaving to cool, the end result is a white fat
which is ideal for cooking and can be kept refrigerated
for up to a year.
Is it bad for you?
Everything in moderation! Lard is a saturated fat
and as such health experts advise that the amount
consumed should be limited. However lard retains many
good properties as it is a completely natural and
unrefined product it can also be classed as an "antibacterial"
product so can in fact be very good for the body by
helping to combat disease. Experts have also found
that lard can actually help reduce body fat as it
contains linoleic acids (CLA's) The fatty acids found
in lard also play an important role in promoting growth
and maintaining a healthy metabolism.
Iberico lard
In recent times lard has been increasingly hard to
come by, fifty years ago it was used in almost every
kitchen little and often. Although the product is
now becoming more recognised as a fantastic cooking
ingredient availability is still low. Iberian lard
is the finest available although production is still
quite rare. Iberian pigs only account for 8% of hams
produced in Spain so by the law of numbers the Iberian
lard is in short supply! One major benefit of Iberian
lard is that it can be classed as "free range"
- even more difficult to source but ultimately worth
it.
Taste
Lard is all about flavour. Lard from Iberian pigs
which are fed on a diet of acorns has an exceptional
flavour - the most popular use for lard in Spain is
roast potatoes. In the UK goose or duck fat is used,
the Iberian fat adds a different flavour altogether.
Because pure lard retains the flavour of pork the
Iberico taste comes through very well indeed.
Get ready for some fabulous golden roast potatoes next
Sunday!
www.orceserranohams.com
©
Copyright 2008 Orce Serrano Hams - www.orceserranohams.com
Published
24 April 2008
Email
Hub-UK : info@hub-uk.com
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