Playing in the Kitchen

It may be the effects of getting better, or the many, many documentaries I have been watching while languishing on the sofa feeling ill, but I've been inspired to make use of the things in my pantry in different ways.  Winter always gets a bit same-y, and by this time, a lot of the stored root veg are looking past their prime.  So it becomes important to break out new combinations and try different ways to cook the same old ingredients.

The other day, I got a copy of a new cookbook celebrating a time honored ingredient:

Since it arrived, I've been hankering to try a recipe or two.  Tonight for dinner I made a batch of Deluxe Hashbrowns, which made a nice side with baked ham and a spinach salad.  (I must be getting better--this was the first meal I've cook-cooked in over two weeks!)  My initial reaction:  Best hashbrowns ever, truly.  It was also nice to have hot fat that didn't smoke or start to burn.  I had read this about cooking with lard, but working with it is believing.  It also took very little fat (about two tablespoons, melted) to provide plenty of grease to fry the hashbrowns without burning or drying out.

I can't wait to fry up the leftovers tomorrow, with a couple fresh eggs and a slice of homemade Cranberry Walnut Wheat bread, toasted to perfection.

There are many other tempting recipes that I am longing to try, such as a simple raisin cake (which I think I'll make using some dried tart cherries I've been saving for a special occasion...) and flour tortillas, which I've always wanted to try making.

I think the key is knowing where to find good quality lard, not the hydrogenated kaka that lives in the blue box or those green and white tubs at your standard grocery store.  I've seen it before at the co-ops near me, but it is easy enough to render on your own.  I stopped in at the local meat locker, and came home with a fifteen pound block of ground hog fat for the king's ransom of five whole dollars.  Now, it likely isn't from an organic pig, but it was locally raised, so all is not lost.  I'm looking forward to acquiring a free-range, happy pig from friends again this year, but my lust for lard couldn't wait.  I have plans to convert more cooking to natural fats, not the strange blended "vegetable" oil and shortening.  What the heck is that stuff that comes in a spray can?  Eventually, it will be locally sourced lard and olive oil in this house.  (I'll hang onto that spray can for helping un-mold crafting projects involving concrete and plaster.)

This new cookbook is a treasure trove of recipes incorporating lard.  It also talks about the history of lard, and why the misconception of lard being horribly unhealthy came about (hint: it had to do with the corn industry, surprise!).  Like any fat in your diet, you shouldn't eat a lot of it.  But, added to a diet rich in vegetables and healthy complex carbohydrates and a bit of locally raised, healthy meat, it certainly won't hurt you as badly as some chemically-processed fat could.  Everything in moderation, right?

I can't leave you hanging with how to make those hashbrowns, can I?

Deluxe Hashbrowns from the Lard Cookbook

You'll need:  four cups shredded potatoes (about three medium); two tablespoons heavy cream; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; a good quantity of ground pepper--I like quite a bit--and about 1/4 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked paprika, yum).  I also added a bit of minced onion, because I just wanted to. 

Combine all ingredients until well mixed.  Melt two tablespoons of lard in a large skillet, cast iron preferrably, over medium high heat until the lard starts to sizzle.  Pour in the potatoes and pat down flat.  Cover (I used a piece of tinfoil smushed over the top), reduce heat to low and cook five to seven minutes until the bottom is nice and browned. 

Flip the hashbrowns, pat down again, increase heat toward medium, and cook uncovered for ten minutes or so, until nicely browned, a little crisp, and cooked completely.  Serve hot with ketchup or hot sauce, or alongside whatever else you like.  Bacon, possibly?