Lard’s been used in cooking for hundreds of years, but only recently did the healthful animal fat return to the front burner. Now embraced by chefs and dietitians, it’s the focus of Lard: The Lost Art of Cooking with Your Grandmother’s Secret Ingredient (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $24.99, April 2012). This flavorful compilation from the editors of GRIT magazine offers 150 sweet and savory recipes, beautiful photos, and fond anecdotes from cooks nationwide about an ingredient once frowned upon.
Lard is now touted by dietitians because it contains only 54 percent of the saturated fat found in butter and is free of trans fats when rendered with care. Chefs and home cooks love it because it’s the secret to turning out stellar Beef Wellington, flaky biscuits, fluffy pancakes, and crispy fried chicken that would make grandma proud.
Lard provides a hearty helping of sides, main dishes, and desserts culled from more than 100 years of GRIT. They include:
- Spanish Corn Bread
- Oven Fried Sweet Potato Fries
- Butterscotch Peach Pie
- Iced Cinnamon Rolls
- Fried Okra
- Chicken and Dumplings
Don’t be afraid to bring a little lard to the table; your tastebuds will be glad you did.
GRIT is a bimonthly magazine dedicated to celebrating country lifestyles. Distributed throughout the United States and Canada, each issue features topics related to land management, livestock, tools, recipes, and community events. To learn more, visit www.grit.com.
—From Lard/Andrews McMeel Publishing
Serves 4
Enjoy the taste of the Maryland seashore, even when fresh crabmeat isn’t an option. Whip up a homemade tartar sauce with mayonnaise and diced sweet pickles. Or for a lighter version, use equal parts sour cream and mayo, a pinch of minced shallots or onions, and some fresh aromatic herbs of your choice (cilantro, dill, basil, and tarragon are all delicious).
1 (6.5-ounce) can crabmeat, drained
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chopped green onion (white and green parts)
Salt and black pepper
Lard, for frying
In a large bowl, place the crabmeat, bread crumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and onion. Season with salt and pepper; mix well. Shape into 4 equal-sized patties. (If more moisture is needed to form patties, add a dash of melted lard.)
In a large skillet, heat the lard over medium-high heat. Fry the patties 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
—From Lard/Andrews McMeel Publishing
Serves 8-10
This cake came about during the 1950s when soda pop (just “pop” in the Midwest) was the occasional special treat rather than an everyday beverage. Substitute with your favorite pop—grape, orange, lemon-lime—to create variations.
3/4 cup lard, plus more for greasing the pans
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, plus more for dusting the pans
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (7-ounce) bottle strawberry soda pop
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
FROSTING
2 tablespoons lard, softened
Pinch of salt
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 (12-ounce) bottle or can strawberry soda pop
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease two 9-inch cake pans with lard; dust lightly with flour and set aside.
Read More…
Lard
The Lost Art of Cooking with Your Grandmothers Secret Ingredient
by Editors of Grit Magazine
Price: $24.99
ISBN-13: 9781449409746
ISBN-10: 1449409741
Format: Paperback
Size: 7.5 x 9 in.
Page Count: 272 pages
Tips and Recipes for Easy, Lip-Smacking, Pull-Off-the-Bone, Pass-the-Sauce, Championship-Quality BBQ Ribs at Home
Now everyone can make championship-caliber ribs at home—whether pork, beef, lamb, or even buffalo. From the authors of America’s Best BBQ comes America’s Best Ribs (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $19.99, May 1, 2012), the ultimate guide to a mouthwatering meal.
Everyone loves finger-licking-good ribs, the core part of the championship circuit and one of America’s most beloved foods. In addition to the 100 lip-smacking recipes for rock-your-world ribs and delicious sides and desserts to complement them, America’s Best Ribs includes tips for competitive barbecuing, juicy stories and teachings from back- yards and competitions, and tons of full-color photographs that showcase America’s barbecue scene at its best.
This ultimate guide not only includes basics for beginners, but also features tips for building your own award-winning rubs, sauces, marinades, and brines. It’s a must-have for professional and amateur barbecuers, as well as an appetizing read for people who may not tend to the pit but still appreciate a high-quality rib.
—From America’s Best Ribs/Andrews McMeel Publishing
Serves 12
This recipe honors the abundance of America’s sweet and field corn that comes from the heartland. There’s something about the heartland terroir that makes corn and other fresh produce absolutely delicious! Although field corn is grown primarily for livestock feed, ethanol, or adult beverages, when it is grilled we’ve enjoyed field corn as much as sweet. This recipe delivers a combination of sweetness, spice, and smoke that your guests will devour with as much gusto as the ribs.
12 ears corn on the cob, with husks
1/4 cup barbecue rub
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
12 thin slices lean bacon
Remove and discard any dry outer corn husks. Pull the husks down, but don’t remove them. Hold the corn under cold running water while removing the corn silk.
Heat a grill to medium to medium-high.
Pat the corn dry with paper towels and sprinkle it with the rub and pepper. Wrap the corn in bacon and pull the husks over it. Wrap each ear in a 12-inch square of aluminum foil. Grill for about 15 minutes over direct heat, turning frequently.
Remove the corn from the grill and leave it in the foil for 20 minutes before serving.
We’ll never forget our first rib sandwich. What shocked us was that the rib meat in the sandwich was still on the bones. Was this a joke, or what? It was not. The rib sandwich origin stories we’ve heard thus far are heavy on the speculation and light on documentation. We hope someone will step forth with the true story, but thus far we’re still waiting.
The traditional rib sandwich features at least four sparerib bones atop a slice of white bread, with sauce on the ribs or to the side and another slice of white bread to the side. Eating a rib sandwich is much the same as eating ribs the way you always do. You pick them up, pull the bone apart if it isn’t already sliced, and eat a rib at a time. The added bonus of a rib sandwich is bread to sop up sauce and grease—although many rib joints today serve ribs with bread on the side or multiple bread slices atop the slab anyway.
Of course, when most people think of a rib sandwich, they picture McDonald’s popular version of a rib sandwich, the McRib. It is boneless cooked pork meat shaped like a portion of loin slab, served in a hoagie roll with barbecue sauce, pickles, and onion. Paul likes them. Ardie would rather eat the Angus Burger. When Ardie administers the Judges’ Oath at barbecue contests, he begins with, “If you can taste the difference between a McRib sandwich and real barbecue, please stand, raise your right hand, and repeat after me, “I do solemnly swear…”
—From America’s Best Ribs/Andrews McMeel Publishing
Serves 8
Artists at fairs have a label for browsers who say, “I’ll be back,” as they leave the booth. “Be-Backs” seldom return. These ribs are a work of art. The sweet, smoky, meaty, rich flavor will compel most of your guests to be back for more!
8 (6-inch-long) beef short ribs
SAUCE
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup cola
2 tablespoons clover or other mild-flavored honey
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
RUB
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
Heat a cooker to 230° to 250°F. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and outline them with a sharp, pointed paring knife.
Read More…
Americas Best Ribs
Tips and Recipes for Easy, Lip-Smacking, Pull-Off-the-Bone, Pass-the-Sauce, Championship-Quality BBQ
by Ardie A. DavisPhB, Chef Paul KirkCWC, PhB, BSAS
Price: $19.99
ISBN-13: 9781449414139
ISBN-10: 1449414133
Format: Paperback
Size: 8 X 10 in.
Page Count: 160 pages
