Is anyone else using lard now that butter is so expensive?

I am good at main courses but pretty hopeless at baking so can’t answer. Mum always fried chips in lard. Hope James Martin lives a long life as he sees nothing wrong with loads of fat. Personally I am back to butter, not artificial margarine.

No I grew up with chips cooked in lard and envied my friends who had chippy chips cooked in oil. I don’t like water crust pies for the same reason or margarine having been brought up on Stork vile stuff. Give me either olive or sunflower oil or (butter in limited amounts) of course. James Martin uses a ridiculous amount of butter and probably has very blocked arteries.

i learnt that the "half butter" was for flavour, and "half lard" was for texture. changed the lard for trex. now use all butter, but rarely. definitely better than anything with palm oil in. if you're using wholemeal flour you're going more for flavour than texture! occasionally use all veg oil, especially when there are vegans around.

I m with MissA I don’t make it ?

Baking gene missed me completely...both Mom and Sister loved their baking sessions-jam tarts/lemon meringues/rhubarb & apple pies, bread etc and remember my only job was to cut the packs of butter and lard in half. whatever they made..I enjoyed! BTW missed the knitting, crocheting and dressmaking gene as well

nadateturbe

I rarely make it but if I do I would never use lard. I use butter or margarine. I thought lard was animal fat?

Lard is animal fat but then so is butter.

DD swears by lard, when making pastry and, like others, halves and halves.

I long ago gave up trying to make pastry, it never worked.

I can still hear my domestic science teacher, Miss G.,(50 years ago) saying , “Half lard, half marg for pastry. Lard for shortness, marg for colour”.

All lard makes the pastry very ‘short’, I find. And I now use half butter instead of marg.

I didn’t even know you could still get lard. Must have a look next time I go to the supermarket .

Over the years my pastry making has had many compliments. I have never dared own up and say I make it with lard

I've always used half butter, half lard for pastry, but lard for frying chips? Heart attack on a plate, But then, I don't make chips.

Lard contains less saturated fat than butter.
I think, considering all the pros and and cons, they come about about equal in terms of unhealthy/healthy...

For pastry I use hard Stork or an own brand equivalent - not that I make pastry very often except during the run up to Christmas - batch after batch of mince pies. I’m not keen on shop ones.

I use lard only for making bird pudding in very cold weather. The birds certainly like it!

I have always used the half and half method for pastry. It "shortens" it. However, I wouldn't use if for anything else that I can think of. If I did, I think it would replace oil rather than butter; I hope we don't get to that point.

I have extra difficulties with pastry these days as, with no gluten, it is difficult to make and almost impossible to roll out. No actual butter either but lactose free behaves better than glutten free.

I wouldn't use lard, but not sure why really. Butter is also animal fat.

I might try a combination of butter and vegetable lard. Is vegetable lard healthier than butter?

It sounds as if it should be, but who knows?

Actually, looking into it, I don't think it is. I think basic lard (with no added stuff) is healthier. Which seems a bit mad to me. It must mean the additives to veg lard are super bad. I know margerine is very bad. Cockroaches won't eat it.

I've always used lard for pastry, same as my mum and grandmas did and, as a result, I make the shortest pastry in the west! I also use it as my go to cooking fat in my wok and frying pan. Wok gets used nearly every day for veg.

I don't and never did use it because it's cheaper than butter. It's simply better than butter when high heat is involved. Butter burns at a much lower temperature than lard or beef fat, not to mention vegetable oils, which are unstable at very low temps.

All the anti-animal fats stuff we've been fed by the media over the years is rubbish.

GagaJo

I wouldn't use lard, but not sure why really. Butter is also animal fat.

I might try a combination of butter and vegetable lard. Is vegetable lard healthier than butter?

I don't think so as it's hydrogenated fat as well which are full of trans fats.

The question I'd ask is - how often do I eat pastry?
Not very often.

GagaJo

Actually, looking into it, I don't think it is. I think basic lard (with no added stuff) is healthier. Which seems a bit mad to me. It must mean the additives to veg lard are super bad. I know margerine is very bad. Cockroaches won't eat it.

I think that's an urban myth; cockroaches will eat anything.

A lot of what people think is not based on actual fact.
The healthiest way, probably, is not to cover good, nutritious food with pastry, because it isn't necessary.
I love a good pie, though.

Good point about only eating pastry once in a blue moon, calli. Same here, though it's mainly because I can't be bothered to make it and bought pastry simply not being the same animal at all!!!

Butter is a dairy product. Lard is made from animal fat. I feel sick just thinking about it.

Lots of items are full of animal fat.
Biscuits, all kinds of things.

I always have lard in the fridge but rarely use it for pastry. I use it for roast vegetables and frying.
Round here block Stork is hard to find. DH does the shopping as he still works part time at the Co-op. I actually prefer Stork for baking with.