Homemade Lard

It was about 9:30 last Tuesday night. It was about twenty degrees below zero (-40 windchill) and my dogs alerted me to a knock on the door?
It's my neighbor, Patty, with a cardboard box containing a nice pork roast, a package of pork ribs, and a sack of leaf lard. (Technically, the fat which surrounds a hogs kidneys, which will become lard.)

My neighbors participate in a sort of co-op program where they pay a group of local farmers in advance in exchange for a portion of their production. They had received their produce allotment last fall, and their one-half hog, cut and wrapped by a local butcher, was ready last week.

Just last weekend I'd been discussing pie crusts with Patty, and had told her about leaf lard. She mentioned this to the butcher, and he said it was the first time anyone had ever asked him about it. He was more than happy to pack a sack for her, which turned out to be over four pounds.

I have about a pound rendering right now.