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What Is Leaf Lard?

Leaf Lard specifically comes from the soft, visceral fat from around the pig's kidney and loin. As such, it has a very delicate, super spreadable consistency at room temperature. This, along with its clean, un-porky flavor, is why leaf lard is considered the highest grade of lard.

How to Use Leaf Lard

Like all types of lard, leaf lard has a high smoking point, making it excellent for frying, pan-searing, and even grilling. While leaf lard doesn't have the pronounced porky flavor of fatback or the stringiness of caul fat, it does have a gentle back note of subtle meatiness that hydrogenated lard lacks. So, leaf lard is an excellent choice when you want that high smoking point, but you don't want the final product to taste like pork, such as when you're making donuts or French fries.

Due to its naturally high moisture content and mild, delicate flavor, leaf lard is particularly prized by bakers for use in producing flavorful, flaky pie crusts and pastries.

True lard-ophite's may even choose to spread whipped leaf lard on bread. Add a sprinkle of sea salt, and you'll see why it is customary practice in some regions of the world. But leaf lard is not suitable for everything. Its softer consistency, for example, makes it a poor choice to use for 

larding

Leaf Lard vs. Conventional Lard

Leaf lard is made only from certain soft fatty areas of the pig, which gives it its characteristically delicate texture and clean, non-porky flavor. The conventional lard sold in blocks in most stores, by contrast, is rendered from fat from all over the pig and typically treated in a variety of ways, including hydrogenation and bleaching, with the addition of emulsifiers and antioxidants to deodorize the lard, prolong its shelf life, and keep it solid at room temperature.