Rendering fat (rendering lard)

About the dish

Fettkoking, eller rendring, er en grunnteknikk fra husslaktingen: råfett renskjæres og smeltes langsomt til klart smult som stivner hvitt og holder seg lenge. Vannet i starten hindrer at fettet svir seg før det har smeltet ut. Fettgrevene – de sprø restene – ble spist eller brukt i mat.

How to make it

1. 1

   Clean and cut up

   Remove skin, blood, meat fibers and membranes. Cut the fat into small pieces and place it in a heavy-bottomed iron pot.

2. 2

   Cover with water

   Add enough cold water to cover the fat. Bring to the boil without stirring, and skim well.

3. 3

   Cook slowly

   Leave the pot over fairly low heat, stirring now and then so the fat does not burn. Cook about 4 hours until the cracklings are crisp. It does not need 4 hours in one stretch.

4. 4

   Strain and cool

   Take the pot off, let it stand 5 minutes, and strain the fat through a sieve lined with a thin piece of cloth. Set aside until cold and set.

5. 5

   Use and reuse

   The lard is now ready for baking, frying and boiling meat and fish. It can be reused, but must be strained each time. Fat that has already been cooked and fried melts faster and should be melted on its own, not together with raw fat.