Everything You Need To Know On Is Lard Vegan!
Lard is an ingredient I was introduced to when I was a child, it isn’t very common in modern cooking. it’s an ingredient that was mostly used in the older generation like my grandparents used to use it a lot.
Nowadays, lard is replaced with butter and shortening.
Is Lard Vegan?
It isn’t. Lard is made using animal fat, particularly pork fat. The pork belly tends to be quite high in fat.
Lard is made through a process called rendering, the fatty bits of the pig (such as the belly, butt, and shoulder) are cooked slowly until the fat is melted. This fat is then separated from the meat. Once chilled, lard will solidify into a smooth, white substance that may or may not have a lingering pork taste, depending on how it’s processed.
I remember, when I was younger, I used to watch my grandparents melt the pork belly, and once it’s completely melted, it’s like liquid. Once cooled, it sets, and it’s soft and spreadable.
What Is Lard Used For?
Lard is pure fat, is it is used in basically anything butter is used for; baking, cooking, spreading on toast, basting, pie crusts, and much more.
Lard and butter are both used in baked goods, but there are some properties of lard that make it a favorite of many bakers. The melting point of lard is lower than butter, which means that more air and steam are released during bake times. This results in greater leavening and a flakier texture in baked goods
Vegan Alternatives To Lard:
Obviously, you can’t really replace Lard and make it taste the same, since lard is made purely out of animal fat, so regardless of what is attempted, a vegan alternative to lard wouldn’t come as close as the traditional lard made out of melted animal fat.
However, I will still drop what I tend to use, so here’s the list:
1. Coconut Oil
2. Vegan Butter
3. Vegetable Shortening
When it comes to healthier alternatives, more like alternatives to fat more than anything, would be mashed avocado. If the recipe calls for lard, replace it with mashed avocado instead for a healthier option.
Summary:
So, we found out today is lard vegan, and the answer was no. However, you don’t really need lard to cook delicious vegan food, coconut oil has got to be my favorite vegan replacement for lard.
Let me know what yours is! Feel free to drop a comment below, or message me directly on my social media accounts:
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