Can I Put Lard In My Coffee? Everything About Coffee And Lard

Lard is something that has been hugely altered and substituted with other types of fat. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the item has almost become irrelevant in most kitchens.

However, it is also true that lard is something underrated and ignored. Therefore, it is important to put light on the lard and revive it as fat for use in your kitchen and recipes.

This article is an attempt to explain lard, its uses, types, and the relationship of lard with coffee. We will answer the question asked by many people: can I put lard in my coffee?

By the end of this post, you will be well-equipped with all information you need to know about lard and making lard coffee.

So let’s get into it without any further ado.

What Is Lard?

Lard is the type of animal fat derived from pork. The fat from bacon meat is separated through the process of rendering. The fat is taken from the fatty portions of the pig’s meat. It has been used as a primary fat for cooking in the past. However, vegetable fat substituted the lard in many kitchens. However, increased awareness about the uses and abuses of transfat(vegetable-derived processed) has brought lard back into the scene due to the number of benefits.

Lard is usually made by slowly cooking the fatty parts of pork until the fat is separated. The chilled fat turns into a smooth and soft solid that is free of lingering pork taste.

4 Different Types of Lard

Although lard is a generic term used for fat derived from pork. However, not all fat is the same. Therefore, lard can be sub-categorized into different types.

We will explain each type in a moment.

1) Rendered Lard

The rendered lard is the most common one that has a lingering and strong pork flavor. The rendered lard is made by the process of melting the fat from the method discussed above.

2) Unrendered Lard

The unrendered lard is derived from pork meat in raw form. This lard is not melted or filtered, and this one is the best choice for baking purposes.

3) Leaf Lard

Leaf lard is the most premium and luxurious as it is obtained from the area around the kidney and abdomen of a pig. The fat is leaf-shaped and accumulated around the kidneys.

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Leaf lard is also used for baking, and the texture is soft, smooth, and creamy.

4) Processed Lard

The fourth type is processed lard, and it is popular due to its neutral taste. The bacon fat is melted, filtered, and cleared. The clearing process comprises bleaching and hydrogenating to tone down the pork flavor.

The clarification process also helps to keep the fat solid at room temperature.

How To Make Lard?

What if you want to make lard at home?

Yes, you can render your own lard at home. Here is all you need to do.

Ingredients

You need the following things:

  • Leaf lard or back fat(cold)
  • Slow cooker or large pot
  • Cheesecloth
  • Water( ¼ cup)
  • Colander
  • Container for storing fat

How To Make Lard?

Just follow the following steps to get rendered lard for yourself:

  • Cut out the leaf lard into small pieces before adding it to the pot.
  • Take a large pot, add water to the pot, and add the fat into it.
  • Turn on the stove and keep the heat at a low flame.
  • 1 ½ to 2 hours is enough to cook the fat but make sure that it doesn’t get burned. The melting process will start soon, and the leftover pork rind will settle at the bottom of the pot.
  • Once the process is complete, strain the fat to separate the cracklings. Repeat the straining process using a cheesecloth to remove any leftover rind.
  • Put the melted lard in the storage container and let it become firm at room temperature.

The lard can be stored in the fridge and used for around 6 months to 12 months.

Uses of Lard

There is no end to how you can use lard in your daily recipes and dishes. The most popular dishes that combine well with lard are as follows:

  • Fried chicken
  • Tamales
  • Biscuits –lard is used in the place of butter to get defined layering in biscuits
  • Pie Crust –add flakier structure and texture to your pie crust
  • Donuts

Lard Vs. Other Fat Types

Let’s make a comparison of lard with other types of lard.

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In the early years of the 20th century, lard was replaced with vegetable shortening. As the name suggests, vegetable shortening is made from vegetable oil to use as a cooking fat.

The most popular oils used for vegetable shortenings are palm oil, soybean, cottonseed, etc. Vegetable shortenings are preferred over lard due to their longer shelf life and affordability.

The second fat type in comparison to lard is butter. Butter is the best choice of bakers and cooking fat. Butter is derived from the churned cream to get a soft and creamy texture.

However, some bakers are opting for lard over butter due to the low melting point and flaky structure in the baked products. 

Can Lard Be Used In Coffee? Can I Put Lard In My Coffee?

Many people ask the next question ‘can I put lard in my coffee?’

The simplest answer to this question is that it depends on your taste buds. If you like the taste of lard in your coffee, you can surely add it.

However, if you feel that the taste of lard is not going well with coffee, tallow butter or duck fat is also a good option.

Another option to try in your coffee is rendered beef fat, ghee, or clarified butter. In short, the addition of lard in your coffee depends on how well it works for you.

If you finally choose lard over butter for your coffee, try rendered leaf lard in your coffee and blend it until frothed.

How To Make Bulletproof Coffee With Lard?

If you’ve decided to give lard a try in your coffee, here we are with the recipe for bulletproof coffee with lard. This bulletproof coffee is the perfect addition to your keto diet plan for weight loss.

The low-carb bacon-fat coffee is refreshing, warm, and comforting to kick start your day.

Here is what you need to make coffee:

  • Brewed bulletproof coffee –12 ounces
  • Ghee/Lard/Butter –2 tbsp
  • MCT Oil –1 Tbsp
  • Pink Salt –1 pinch
  • Cinnamon –1/2 tbsp; optional

Follow the following instructions to get your morning bulletproof coffee:

  • It’s very simple! put all the ingredients into a blender and blend them until a smooth formation is achieved.
  • Nothing! Pour into a cup and enjoy the refreshing coffee!
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Why Lard? Benefits Of Lard

You might be wondering why lard is used in coffee or in different recipes. Here are some of the most popular benefits associated with bacon fat.

High Vitamin D Content

The pork fat is rich in Vitamin D that improves our immunity, long-term wellness, and overall moods. You cannot get vitamin D in many foods, and most people have to suffer from Vitamin D deficiency.

Therefore, pork fat can help you overcome the deficiency that can help to improve your immune system and prevent autoimmune disorders, infections, and heart diseases.

Improves Heart Health

The fat content in lard comprises monosaturated fat up to 48%. It is the second-highest after olive oil. These fats are very helpful in controlling the blood cholesterol levels necessary to maintain the health of cells.

The high monosaturated fat content is also good to treat depression and reduces the risk of breast cancer.

High Smoke Point

Due to the high smoke point of lard, it can be used as a substitute for vegetable oils and shortenings. You can easily use it for frying, baking, and sauteing.

Choline improves heart and brain health

Just like vitamin D, choline is also not present in most of the food items we consume. However, getting enough choline for our body is necessary to balance cholesterol and avoid fat building.

On the other hand, lard is a good source of choline, and its proper intake can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and heart-related diseases.

No Lingering Taste of Pork

Many people might not like the lingering taste of pork meat. It is also one of the reasons why many of us avoid lard, but the good news is that the lard has a neutral taste without any traces of pork flavor.

So you can consume it fearlessly.

Conclusion

You’ve got the answer of ‘ can I put lard in my coffee?’ Not only this, we’ve shared the recipe for making bulletproof coffee using lard instead of ghee or butter.

We’ve also discussed everything about lard that you must know. And we hope that you will find the information helpful.