Traditional Animal Fats: Tallow and Lard
Before vegetable oils took over the modern kitchen, there were tallow and lard, and they are making a well-deserved comeback. Rendered beef tallow and pork lard are traditional cooking fats with high smoke points, rich flavor, and a track record stretching back centuries.
Tallow, rendered from beef fat, is a powerhouse for high-heat cooking. Roast potatoes in tallow and you will understand why our grandparents swore by it: shatteringly crisp outsides, fluffy insides, and a depth of flavor no neutral oil can match. Lard, rendered from pork fat, is the secret to the flakiest pie crusts and the most tender biscuits you have ever baked.
Look for traditionally rendered, minimally processed fats from trusted sources, and store them cool and dark. Used thoughtfully, tallow and lard are not indulgences from the past. They are some of the most versatile fats in a from-scratch kitchen.
Team tallow or team lard? And what is the one dish you would never make with anything else? Cast your vote below.