Ever want to "get back to nature"
Here is how to prepare a years worth of shortening (Pig Fat!)
It is actually great stuff -- makes fantastic soap and can turn pie crusts into a thing of beauty.
From Easy Fun School:
Rendering LardThere's a good bit more -- basically involving lots of time and care maintaining the fire at the proper temperature and stirring often. Nice that one can drive to a store and get either vegetable shortening or real Lard for a few bucks. Ain't civilization grand? (grin)
A 225-pound hog will yield about 30 pounds of fat that can be rendered into fine shortening for pastries, biscuits, and frying. The sheet of fat just inside the ribs makes the best quality, snowy-white lard. This "leaf" fat renders most easily, too -- and is ninety percent fat. The "back" fat, a thick layer just under the skin, is almost as good, giving about eighty percent of its weight in lard.
A slow fire and a heavy pot that conducts heat evenly are most important in making lard. Put �" of water in the pot to keep the fat from scorching at first. Remove any fibers, lean meat, and bloody spots from the fat, and cut into very small pieces. It�s not necessary to remove pieces of skin, but many people prefer to. Put a shallow layer of fat in the pot. When the first layer of fat has started to melt, add more. Do not fill the kettle to the top -- it can boil over too easily. Stir frequently and keep fire low.
One of the byproducts of rendering lard is the fired bits of skin and connective tissue (sounds gross, but isn't) that are skimmed off and drained. these are known throughout the South as "Cracklins" and are a much sought-after treat...
With the demise of lard as an acceptable shortening, cracklin' production is still a staple of many small butcher shops which specialize in the traditional processing of pigs.