......or maybe it's because they just read this article from last weeks San Francisco Chronicle that reports on the resurgence of this much maligned fat. Really interesting reading, especially since my chef pals all talk about how great it is. It apparently not only makes unparalleled pastry crust and has a high smoke point that makes it the ideal medium for sautéing and frying, it is actually better for you than butter. From the article:_____ _____ _____ _____
"In 2001, nutritionists at the Harvard School of Public Health reviewed the body of research and found that the type of fat matters more than the total amount. In simple terms, the study lumped trans and saturated fats into the bad category, and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats into the good. That's meaningful for lard, because rendered pork fat contains nearly a quarter less saturated fat than butter, more than double the monounsaturated and nearly four times the polyunsaturated fat, according to the USDA. And lard contains no trans fats, now universally considered dangerous."
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You can only imagine my search for lard in Portland is commencing immediately. If anyone has any tips on finding my new favorite fat here, or recipes for its use, I'd love to hear them!
