To produce a high quality lard with good stability, remove all the skin and lean from the back-fat and other fat trimmings. Fats from around the internal organs should be rendered separately because they yield a darker lard than leaf fat and other body fat trimmings.

Cut the fat into small pieces of similar size for quick uniform rendering. Steam rendering, if available, is most preferable since it eliminates the danger of scorching. When fat is rendered in a kettle over an open fire, it should be stirred frequently and the fire should be kept low to prevent sticking and scorching. Do not use a copper or brass kettle because these metals cause rapid rancidity.

The temperature of the fat during rendering should remain about 212° F. As the process continues, water will evaporate and the temperature will increase. Do not allow it to go above 255° F.

As the rendering process proceeds, the cracklings float to the surface and become brown in color. When boiling (evaporation of water) ceases, the rendering process is completed and heating can be discontinued. Strain the lard through several thicknesses of cheese cloth into lard pails or crocks, and cool immediately at a temperature near freezing. While cooling, stir to a creamy stage to prevent graininess. If the lard is dark in color, it is because it was scorched or there was too much lean left on the fat. Additional lard can be obtained by pressing the hot cracklings in a lard press.

Air and light can cause lard to become rancid; therefore, containers should be filled to the top, sealed tightly and stored in a dark, cool place.

Fresh Sausage

Fresh pork sausage is generally made by grinding and seasoning lean pork trimmings from bellies, hams, and shoulders. Fresh sausage should contain about 20 to 30 percent fat. If more fat is included, the sausage may be too greasy and shrink a lot in cooking. If entire shoulders or hams are used, it may be necessary to add some fat.

Prepare sausage by grinding the meat through a coarse plate (½-inch holes), mix thoroughly, spread thin, add seasoning, and mix thoroughly. Regrind through a finer plate (⅛-inch holes), for a more uniform mix with the seasoning.

For seasoning 100 pounds of trimmings, a suggested seasoning formula would be the following: