My Chinese Recipe Menu
- How I Feel About This Chinese Pork Lard
- Original Name
- Cooking Tips
- Cooking Time
- Ingredients to Make Chinese Pork Lard
- Food
- Seasonings
- How to Make Chinese Pork Lard
- Preparation
- Cooking
How I Feel About This Chinese Pork Lard
You could call it "Chinese butter." It has a richer flavor and aroma compared to plant oils. My grandma used pork lard as her primary cooking oil for many years, as did many older generations in China. However, fewer young people use it today, as it's less convenient than bottled plant oil.
I started making pork lard because of my struggles with acne. For years, I couldn't figure out why I kept breaking out whenever I ate butter, milk, ice cream, or cakes. It lasted for decades until I discovered it was dairy products causing my acne. So, I had to stop eating those delicious foods. Interestingly, I also noticed that certain oils or even beef would trigger breakouts, but pork never gave me any problems.
That’s when I decided to switch to pork lard as my primary cooking oil. I’m still experimenting with what works best for my skin, but I suspect many others have similar issues. Fortunately, I've found what works for me.
Original Name
- Translated English Name: Pork Lard
- Original Chinese Pronunciation: Zhu You 熬猪油
Note: You may use the Chinese name to order in China because the translated English name of the dishes might be different in every restaurant.
Cooking Tips
- Pork leaf fat would be the ideal part to cook lard. You may ask butcher to cut it to save some time
- Control the heat to get light color lard. Longer time you cook, darker color the lard would be
Cooking Time
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Ingredients
Serving: 600g/21oz Lard
Food
Pork Leaf Fat — 1kg/35oz
Green Onion — Half piece
Ginger — 3 slice
Seasonings
Cooking Wine — 1 tbsp
How to Cook Chinese Pork Lard
Preparation
1. Cut the pork leaf fat into slices or cubes. To save time, I asked the butcher to do this, so the pieces aren't perfectly even.
2. Slice the green onion and ginger.
Cooking
1. Bring water, green onion, ginger, and cooking wine to a boil in a wok.
2. Drain and rinse the boiled pork fat in warm water. Avoid using cold water, as it can make the fat sticky and difficult to clean.
3. Add fresh water and the pork leaf fat to the wok. Boil, then reduce the heat to medium. At first, the fat will appear white, but as the water evaporates, clear oil will start to rise, and the fat will render slowly. Using water as a base helps ensure the lard turns out light in color and prevents overheating.
4. Scoop out the rendered lard and store it in a clean, dry container. Although it might seem like it takes an hour, the entire process only took me about 20 minutes.
5. Let the pork lard cool, then store it in the refrigerator. Once solidified, it will be white and can be used directly to mix with rice or noodles.
