A little bit of research helps demystify the good fat v. bad fat debate. Simply, some of the fats once reported as so unhealthy really aren't. On the other hand, a few supposedly healthy fats aren't healthy.

I know that organically raised and rendered pork lard is perfectly fine to use, along with a healthy diet. I also buy lard from farmers who render their own from pigs they've raised themselves. Grocery store lard is not a healthy substitution.

Lard makes such superior pastry crust that it's not worth my time to use anything else. I am one of those who will eat everything but the crust if it's gummy or leathery or usually not even try a piece at all. Lard plus butter creates a flavorful, flaky, light pastry every time.

I don't use it for anything other than pastry items as a rule, but did make some ridiculously good lemon cupcakes once with a combination of butter and lard.

Whenever I hear someone say saturated fats are not the problem (Amylou above) I feel compelled to preach about individuality. The one-diet-fits-all approach simply does not work.

My paternal grandfather died of a heart attack at 60. My maternal grandmother died of a heart attack at 44. One of her granddaughters, my first cousin, died of a heart attack at 49. My dad, in his forties, couldn't walk up a subway ramp without taking nitroglycerin. To the great fortune of my family, he found a doctor who was ahead of his time (this was around 1950) and knew something about good fats and bad fats. My father radically changed his diet, giving up animal fats, and radically changed his health.

He lived to be 90. The few times he ingested saturated fats (it always happened in restaurants), he ended up in the hospital with chest pains. The medical experts insisted this wasn't possible, that build-up in the arteries doesn't happen that way, but later a study was published that admitted some people react this way to saturated fats.

Like my father, I am one of those people. So yes, saturated fats can definitely be the problem. I suspect it's true for many of us.

I don't see the hype in coconut oil, either. It's hard, a saturated fat. There've been studies done where it isn't as healthy as proclaimed because it's still a saturated fat. I tried it in a pie crust once, and the hard fat wouldn't soften and become pliable, it was awful.

I agree with Rhizo.

I am a firm believer, genetics plays the largest role with high cholesterol and heart issues. Not that you should not eat healthy but, you are what you are. I have lots of healthy eating friends who have high cholesterol and high B/P. No other explanation other than genetics.

Alisande, thank you for the reminder about individual response to foods. I often think about the struggles you've had and the determination it has taken to find some answers.

Jasdip, am a big fan of coconut oil.....for the outside of me, not the inside! It's my favorite hand, face, and foot moisterizer all year round. It's really not a healthy edible fat at all.

Why do you consider coconut oil to be unhealthy, Rhizo? The saturated fat? I've heard MCT's like coconut oil are processed differently in the body than other fats and they are considered to be good fats.

I had a relative who was a lifelong smoker and lived to be 92. Does that mean there are no health dangers from smoking?

Alisande,I agree. I posted that in response to another post about the dangers of saturated fats being "Well accepted and not in dispute." The fact is,it is in dispute. I absolutely think genetics is #1 in heart disease risk. More and more studies are beginning to back that up.

I mean,look at Bob Harper(the biggest loser guy.) He almost died of a heart attack and he lives an extremely healthy lifestyle. His mother died very young of a massive heart attack.

As for myself, when I follow a low carb,high fat diet, I eat all kinds of saturated fats,and my good cholesterol goes up and my bad goes down. For others, i know it's the opposite.

The website you have a link for, amylou, is a commercial business and not a medically authoritative source. It's important to know and understand the difference.

Coconut oil causes me to break out whether I eat it or put it on my face. So I just use it for my hair. :)

I think our diets, lifestyles, views, and foods have a lot to do with why people are so unhealthy today. Lots of people grew up on lard and bacon grease and lived long healthy lives. Like a poster above said if you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and get exercise you should be fine. People used to work outside and grow their own food. Who knows what is being done to our food now. Even organic. But yes some people react differently to different things and you know your body better than anyone else.

Ever notice how after the whole "fat is bad" campaign came out people are sicker than ever? Fat is not bad. All in moderation and good sources.

Medically Authoritative Source - those aren't always reliable either.

Dehydration also causes a lot of health problems. Keep your body lubed people! :D

Oh for crying out loud Elmer. I picked the first website on Google. I've have been reading about study after study about this subject for at least a year. And unless the "commercial" website sells butter, I have no idea why it would make up a story about fake studies. Besides, I didn't say it was friggin law, I said that current guidelines are in dispute do to new studies on the subject,and cited an article that wrote about such studies for those who are interested in new developments and open to new information and wanted to read about it.

One of the biggest commercial institutions in this country is the healthcare business.

By the way,not to blow your mind,but contrary to past belief,the earth is round.

When you have a medical problem or illness, hareball. your physician will act or not act based upon his or her best judgement of what generally accepted medically authoritative knowledge and practice would suggest. If you reject that, I'm not sure who would be left for you to turn to.

Edit to add:

amylou, internet searches turn up all kinds of things. Just because there's a word match doesn't mean the source is providing correct information. This is a trap many people fall into. Sorry.

No bacon fat or lard here. I can not stand anything fried. I get nausea just thinking about french fries. My husband loves anything fried so I send him to the diner when he starts pestering me for fries. But that being said I need to get my hands on some good lard for pie crusts. I have been told the grocery store lards are full of chemicals so I don't want that. I need to find a hog butcher that renders lard. Lol

I have had medical problems and the dr's were of absolutely no help. If I have an illness I let my body take care of it like it was meant to do.

If you'd really look into all of this you'd be surprised what you find.

amylou321 - the earth is round?! Flat round or globe round? ;)

Wouldn't butter taste better, MP?

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! ELMER!!!! ARE YOU LISTENING?!?!??! The studies written about were conducted. The article simply WROTE about it. My own doctor cited the new research as the possible reason for my improving cholesterol numbers. She did not say it ABSOLUTELY was the reason. But it was interesting to explore.

But whatever man, I keep forgetting you know everything about everything,and the rest if us are all village idiots.

Arrogance is the biggest obstacle of progress.

Sorry not sorry.

I don't know hareball, ask Elmer. He knows everything.

We don't use it around here, though occasionally, if there is fresh bacon grease and a need to fry an onion, those two things will go hand in hand. My MIL makes pan de polvo cookies every year at Christmas, with a traditional lard recipe. They are heavenly and melt in your mouth, there is nothing else like them.

Rita, I would think butter would taste better but I think homemade rendered lard is supposed to make the best crust. Thats all I know LOL. Maybe I need to raise a pig for slaughter. Haha

i've never used lard... not particular reason, just never have.

my grandmother NEVER tossed bacon grease. that's what she shallow fried her crab cakes in. i buy the ends of bacon at supermarket and make REAL bacon bits. i run odds/ends through meat grinder, slowly render/brown, and save grease. makes an interesting difference in real popcorn instead of oil... just sayin'!

Everything in moderation unless one has a condition where something must not be consumed in any portion.

I keep a small container of lard in fridge and use it to season/reseason cast iron. I tried pie crust with it once and decided I like butter better. So technically, I don't really cook with lard. We usually had some saved bacon grease growing up, but bacon is so expensive I hardly ever cook it and don't save the grease when I do.

But now I'm thinking about those homemade bacon bits - I may have to go for it!

i use that bacon grease on cast iron. I've bought the bacon ends, rendered and crumbled with decent results. BUT coarse grind and a low/slow rendering makes for better results.

I was told by a dietician 25 yrs ago not to EVER use coconut for anything...now,I am told I can have it......I rendered the pig fat years ago and used it for certain baking rituals....today,I keep my bacon grease for my bread and for a "kick"to frying my lean beef.....

Elmer-your relative that lived to 92 was smoking tobacco-this crap that us smokers have been smoking the last 25 yrs or so,is anything but tobacco. JMO

Remember when margarine was supposed to be better than butter? I'll stick to the natural stuff, no using crisco anymore.

I have a jar of bacon grease in my fridge all the time. I use a coffee filter to filter my grease before storing it. That way it makes a cleaner oil for frying eggs, especially when I scramble them. I also use the grease to fry my meat, from pork chops, to sausages and even good steaks.

I have never used lard for cooking or baking. I use canola oil for pie crusts and olive oil for cooking.

I grew up with bacon and lard. I seldom order fried eggs in restaurants because to me a fried egg has to be basted in bacon grease to be a "real" fried egg. Family lived to ripe old ages. I think the video below says all that needs to be said.

Healthy Eating Is Hard

We add a small amount of bacon grease to our homemade refried beans. They are delicious and taste so much better than canned.

We had neighbors who fried their schnitzel in pork fat. They made the best schnitzel, but I am not sure how important the pork fat (schmaltz) was to the dish.

I have a question for those of you saving bacon grease. How long is it good for in the frig? After all there is tiny bits of pork in it so wouldn't it spoil in a few days?

I also want to add that although I hate fried foods and mostly refuse to fry anything...bacon is a great love of mine. I cook it maybe twice a year because I seriously would eat it until my arteries clogged up.

Rita. Is schnitzel a breaded and fried boneless pork chop? My X DIL is from Germany ( still there) but during one of her visits to me I think she called the pork she was frying schnitzel...I don't do fried, but omg it was so delicious.

Yes, MP, that is what schnitzel is- heavenly, no?

The base variety of Wiener schnitzel is made with thin, pounded flat cut of boneless veal. Pork, chicken breast and fish all benefit from the schnitzel treatment. Wiener means Viennese (though many food historians trace the dish to Veal Milanese.) I learned to make this dish when I was 10 (from our Austrian neighbor) and it is the only thing I fry.

This is not my picture, but this is how I typically serve the dish:

It is also served with potato salad.

Mamapinky0 - Growing up, my dear mom made Wienerschnitzel with thinly pounded veal, and also schnitzel made with pork. I don't recall what she fried it in, but she rendered pork fat, as well as duck fat, which she preferred in German red cabbage (Rotkohl). This dish was served with Spätzle, (an egg noodle).

These days, I am vegetarian and don't fry anything.

Mamapinky, we keep our bacon grease in a small container in the freezer and add to it as necessary.

I've been working on being able to make light flaky biscuits and they have improved. I wonder if lard would help?

Oh, summer, you just reminded me of the other thing I fry, potatoes in duck or goose fat- but I think I will make Spatzle soon, thanks to your reminder, Rotkohl and Rouladen too. This turned out to be a fattening thread for me!

Rita - LOL. Reading about food has zero calories.

My mom, grandfather and I used to go to a German restaurant in a small town near by. We'd all order some kind of schnitzel. We always new when she was working on our food when we heard her in the kitchen beating the crap out of the pork lol :D so good :)

Lucille, absolutely regarding the lard in your biscuits. Use half butter for lots of flavor or buttermilk as your liquid.

Thank you, I just ordered an 8 lb. pail of lard for cooking because of this thread. One learns all sorts of useful stuff here.

OT - Rita, properly prepared, is schnitzel pan fried or deep fried? We were in Vienna earlier this year, had schnitzel that appeared to be deep fried, which was disappointing. I expected pan fried. But the photo you posted looks similar to what we were served.

Stacy, I learned to pan fry the meat in about a quarter to half an inch of fat (I use canola oil.)

Here is a YouTube that shows the process for making the dish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El0hMvq6v2E

Thank you for that info, Rita. The schnitzel that I ate in Vienna had the most delicious accompaniments - sliced cucumbers in a sour cream type sauce and broth-based potato salad.

stacey, just in case you were interested, here is the recipe I use for making German cucumber salad http://allrecipes.com/recipe/221075/gurkensalat-german-cucumber-salad/.

Recently I bought pork fat at the farmer's market. I intend to render it into lard for cooking. I'd only cook with lard if I got it from a reputable non commercial source. Although i know I consume less optimal lard at Mexican restaurants, which I don't visit all that often being as most New England Mexican restaurants are not that good to begin with.

If I make bacon, I may use drippings for fried eggs, or maybe to add to other foods later that same day. I don't reserve it for future dates.

When I have bought organic farmers market duck (not often, due to price), I reserve the duck fat for up to a month, to cook with.

I am one of those whose health profile improved when I modified the fats I ate (to olive oil and avocado oil, and butter and the occasional duck or bacon fat), and when I markedly reduced junk sugars and grains in my food plan. I also eat eggs about 5 times a week. So, high fat, low carb, lotsa veggies, and watching food sources works for me.

Annie over in cooking renders her own lard but I think she grows her own pigs. I suppose if one can get the fat the rendering process is easy to do.

I think the commercial lard is full of chemicals.

Mama, it seems most things are loaded with chemicals.....you are right. My friend gets a chunk of pork fat from her butcher and renders it in a crock pot. She gave me a small jar of it and I must say it is very good. I don't use much.