Lard, beautiful lard

Oh how I love me some lard.

I do not, under any circumstances, use vegetable shortening.  Supposedly there are vegetable shortenings that are not completely transfats… um, ok, but then how is it solid at room temperature?  It’s not natural.  No matter what “safe” process you use to make it completely unnatural in form which, according to the FDA, is acceptable for human consumption, I don’t trust it.  The FDA has a very bad reputation of okaying things that longitudinally turn out to be gruesomely horrible for you.

I know lard is horrible for me.  I respect the lard and its artery clogging potential.  I use it with a generous circumspection, and it has never failed me.  I’m so in love with lard I literally have 4 different kinds in my fridge, goose, duck, pork, and bacon fat.

When I’m cooking for vegetarians, I use butter.  Real butter.  See unnaturally solid at room temperature for my thoughts on oil-based margarines.

In conclusion: Hell yes, animal fat.  Hell yes.