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Homemade lard with cracklings, onion and apple
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Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/snacks/homemade-lard-with-cracklings-onion-and-apple
About this recipe
Homemade lard with cracklings, onion and apple has a creamy texture and small, lightly browned cracklings. Dice the raw pork fat evenly and render it slowly: high heat quickly darkens the cracklings before they release their fat. Add the onion toward the end and the apple even later, so they soften without burning. All the rendered fat stays with the cracklings. A little marjoram brings out the flavor, while stirring the lard as it sets helps distribute the additions evenly. This makes twelve small portions to accompany a meal.
Ingredients
Lard with additions
500 g raw unsalted pork backfat, without skin or layers of meat
100 g onion, peeled weight
100 g firm tart apple, peeled and cored weight
50 ml water to start rendering; the water evaporates during cooking
3 g fine salt
1 g dried marjoram
0.5 g ground black pepper
Steps
Use a sharp knife to cut the chilled pork fat into even dice about 5 mm across; cold fat is easier to cut and smears less. Chop the onion just as finely and cut the peeled apple into small dice. Have a wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan with a capacity of about 2 l ready.
Put the pork fat in the cold saucepan and add 50 ml water. Heat without a lid over low heat for about 45–60 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the water evaporates and the pieces of fat visibly shrink. The rendered fat should be light and clear, with cracklings only pale golden; if they begin darkening quickly, lower the heat. Do not wait for deep browning, as they will continue frying with the additions.
AI-generated Over low heat, carefully add the onion a little at a time, as moist additions can make the fat splatter. Fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens and starts turning lightly golden. The cracklings should remain golden, without dark brown edges.
Add the apple and continue frying over low heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until the pieces soften and the vigorous bubbling after adding the fruit subsides. The onion and cracklings should be light golden and the apple soft, without scorched pieces. Remove the saucepan from the burner before the additions brown deeply.
Add the salt, pepper and marjoram rubbed between your fingers, then mix thoroughly. Do not strain: all the fat, cracklings, onion and apple stay together.
Carefully divide the lard between two wide heatproof dishes, each with a capacity of about 500 ml, leaving space below the rim. Distribute the additions evenly and let cool for about 20–30 minutes. Then refrigerate, no later than 2 hours after finishing frying.
Chill for about 2.5 hours, until the lard sets and becomes pale and creamy. As it chills and begins turning opaque around the edges, stir it thoroughly once so the cracklings and additions do not remain only at the bottom; cover the dishes once cooled. Keep refrigerated and eat within 48 hours of preparation — this is lard with freshly added onion and apple, not just plain fat.
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