I recently had the pleasure of sitting in on a mini-lecture with a bunch of lady friends in the community. I thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship and fun, but the presentation was rather disheartening for me. The topic was healthy holiday eating. While I wholeheartedly agreed with the tips for portion control, minimizing stress, and incorporating physical activity, I was dismayed at the dietary framework being presented. Two main components suggested for a "healthier" menu were low-fat ingredients and sugar substitutes. WHAT?!? My eyes bulged as I thought about all the research I've come across exposing a "low-fat" diet and artificial sweeteners as serious health risks both in what they do and what they cannot do in the human body. Of course, I can in no way blame the presenter as this was exactly what she'd been trained to practice and to teach according to USDA guidelines. My heart sank as I thought of all the well-meaning cooks in the room who would shortly be in the stores looking for such labels and subsequently feeding these products to their families. I'll save the sweeteners/cancer discussion for another post. A look at the nutritional controversy over fat will be plenty of fodder. While I'm not a dietitian, health expert, or licensed anything, I've done a significant amount of reading, research, and trial in the kitchen that would tell me to head for healthy, REAL fats as I prepare my holiday fare...or any fare for that matter.
Fat got a bad rap throughout the twentieth century for two main reasons: First, the food industry began to rely more and more heavily on government-subsidized corn and all its mutations (corn syrup, oil, fructose, etc.) Today, it's almost impossible to purchase foods without some corn-based ingredient tucked into the list. Consequently, the readily available and relied-upon animal fats of the past were vilified and forced to take a back seat to the new and improved manufactured oils of tomorrow. Second, fat became the whipping boy for the nation's newest top-of-the-list killer: heart disease. My maternal side of the family has a history of this, so I'm acutely aware of its malice. Typically, a low-fat diet is recommended as the answer. The idea is to kick the fat from the diet and thereby lower cholesterol and reduce one's risk of heart disease. So...low-fat milk, lean meat, vegetable oil/shortening became the new face of "healthy" eating and the "outdated and unhealthy" saturated animal fats, full-fat dairy, and the like were snubbed as artery-clogging culprits. However, despite low fat products/diets gaining in popularity in the past sixty years heart disease has continued to soar. Why? I pose that its because human lifestyle and the fats themselves have gotten a makeover in the last century...and a bad one at that. In today's factory farms vs. the local, small farms or wild sources of the past, animal fats come from animals raised on unnatural foods in unnatural environments -- no wonder they're a nutritionally-compromising food source! Plant-based fats and oils, which barely existed commercially before the past century, are usually hydrogenated, "engineered" oils that don't even exist in nature. They, too, have questionable effects in the human body. Add that to a diet with copious amounts of sugar and starch, more and more processed foods, genetically-modified (and cancer-causing) organisms, increased portion size, decreased physical activity, and too little sleep and leisure. Yes, all that added together equals a population riddled with obesity, diabetes, neurological and psychological disorders, heart disease, reproductive dysfunction, and cancers of various kinds. How depressing!
So what's the skinny on fat? For thousands of years humans have eaten high fat diets including meats and dairy from grazing animals, shellfish, fish oils, seafood, nuts, and a few plant sources. The right sources and the right balance within the diet help to maintain proper levels of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids within the cell structure. Fats are crucial to help us absorb fat-soluble essential vitamins A, D, E, and K, enzymes, and also have anti-inflammatory function within the body. If we analyze the body's composition (the brain, joints, organs, etc.), it's plain that the human body needs fats -- and quite a bit of them -- in order to function optimally. All mammal babies, including most humans, receive their initial nutrition from an extremely high-fat source, breast milk. Though we are weaned, we are designed to maintain a certain level of healthy, REAL fat consumption. Contrary to popular belief, it is fat that keeps us lean. Sugar is really to blame for making us fat. Studies have shown that children with low fat diets exhibit a failure to thrive, depressive tendencies, and have mineral deficiencies. Studies in adults show similar results as well as a host of other serious health issues and even deaths. To boot, studies show little correlation between eating a low fat diet and lowering cholesterol or reducing the risk of heart disease. But what does this mean for me in my kitchen?
No, I'm not sticking my finger in a tub of lard for an afternoon snack, but I'm not afraid to dollop all-grass butter, coconut oil, or lard in the skillet as I start a meal. I liberally consume natural REAL fats from a variety of sources. Let's face it, the stakes are high! I want to make as few mistakes as possible when it comes to my and my family's health. In an attempt to simplify and enjoy the process I read a lot from a variety of angles, use nature and history as my guide, employ a good dose of common sense, and give myself credit for where I am before I get antsy over where I'm not. I also rely on the fact that the human body is a wonderfully designed (and forgiving) masterpiece that functions beautifully if given the right fuel and environment. I'm determined to keep pushing my meals in a direction that helps the body to thrive. For me, food is medicine; it is nutrition, what fuels the body's every cell. If fats play an integral role in my health, then I'm going to be certain that the right ones make it on my plate.
The first rule of fats is to consume minimally processed animal fats from pasture-raised sources (all-grass dairy & beef, pastured pork & poultry) or sustainably-harvested ocean-caught seafood. Plant-based fats are great if they, too, are minimally processed and derived in a manner that keeps them similar to their natural origin, not highly processed junk. I stick with extra virgin olive oil and unrefined raw coconut oil because they have LONG lists of health benefits attached. As a rule I stay away from anything hydrogenated, corn-based, and canola-related. Coconut oil is great with stir fry, eggs, baking, and anything that sounds like it'd be tasty with a bit of coconut flavor. Olive oil is a go-to oil for almost anything -- browning meat, starting pasta sauce, you name it. Good quality fish oils, rich in Omega-3, are generally taken as a supplement and have benefits ranging from acne treatment to allergies to reduction of heart disease. All-grass butter and lard are some of the easiest animal-sourced fats to cook with (I find rendered beef fat, or tallow, to be "stickier"). Lard's uses are many including the time-honored crusts, biscuits, and baking. I will clarify that unlike so many memories associated with farm kitchen meals, we basically don't fry anything in our menu except for a rare fried eggplant parmesan or very rare breaded chicken dish. Fats in our house are used for sauteeing, browning, braising, baking, steaming, and stir frying. Coming soon, we'll be using lard and beef tallow for soap-making as well!
It's not as hard as one might think to locate these good guys among the host of "others". The safest bet is to think of what would've been available a hundred years ago or older. Even if you live in Kentucky like me, coconut oil and fish oils would've been a part of the diet in the tropics or nordic regions respectively, so they should be fair game for me today. Most plant-based healthful fats are available at any well-stocked supermarket or health food store. For pastured animal fats it's best to seek out local farms committed raising animals as nature intended: All-grass beef, lamb, or goat (these animals by nature eat nothing but forage...no grains or corn) and pastured pork or poultry (these animals by nature eat forage AND grains/protein). Buying meat from these farms will help ensure that your meat (and dairy) contains healthful fat within it AND you have a source for pure animal fats that can be rendered for kitchen use. It's not as scary as it sounds...really! For those of you chomping at the bit to get friendly with some fat, see below for my very easy lard rendering how-to.
Pastured-Pork Lard
Lard is rendered pork fat, smooth in consistency, creamy white in color, and has little to no odor when made properly. Lots of folks make lard using a stove-top method. If you prefer this idea, go for it! The process is the same as listed below but the pot should start with enough water to just cover the bottom. The pot will also need to be checked and stirred quite regularly to prevent scorching. When making lard, I prefer to use a crock pot -- it is low maintenance and consistent for the duration of time needed to do the job right. Lard is best kept refrigerated or frozen. A 10-lb batch makes roughly 7 pints.
Pastured pork fat can be bought from your farmer in a variety of batch sizes. Best to check with them to see what they have available. It's not a highly sought-after part of the animal, so it's likely that they'll be more than happy to supply you with fat for your project at a very reasonable price.
You will need:
- large stainless steel stock pot OR a crock-pot
- slotted spoon
- large ladle
- canning funnel
- strainer
- storage containers capable of holding hot liquid (glass is great) as the lard cools.
- fat from a pastured, healthy hog
1. Cut thawed pork fat into roughly 1-inch cubes
2. Fill the crock pot and cover. *If there's more fat than you can fit at first there's no harm in adding to the pot as the batch cooks down. Cook on low for 12-24+ hrs. 3. As the fat renders it will become liquid and boil. Ladle the liquid out of the crock and strain into sturdy storage containers of choice. I like wide-mouth pint jars.
4. Keep removing liquid at intervals until only solids are left. These solids can be fried until crispy and are called "cracklins". They can be lightly salted and eaten as bacon bits or baked with in dishes like Cracklin Cornbread.5. Allow liquid in jars to cool until solid and creamy white. Store in refrigerator or freezer.
6. Don't be shy...this fat is the good kind!
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