Making Cooking Lard

 If you are so lucky to be able to purchase and cook with Epic Lard on a regular basis, I completely envy you!!!  I always have some on hand, but I feel this is just too epic to coat my pans on a regular basis.  This is to be used for special times especially when it costs $9 at Whole Foods.  I have found a cheater way to have pork lard on hand without making lard the traditional way, which I hear smells very bad. 

It first starts with making bacon.  I like to use the Kirkland 1.5lb bacon that is thick cut.  This renders a decent amount of grease.  After you enjoy breakfast and the oil is not scalding hot, get a bowl or large coffee cup and strain the grease with a paper towel until it is clean.

The next step is to line a cup with parchment paper and cool the grease in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Then slip the cup into the freezer for about 2 hours.  If you forget to pull it from the freezer and you see it in the morning, just let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes before doing the next step.

Remove the parchment paper and you should have a solid piece of clean pork lard.

Cut it up in pieces and store it in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.  I just take a couple of pieces when coating my pans for cooking.  I have also used it as a replacement for baking when I need shortening.

Juicing Oranges

Well it is late December in Arizona and that means it is time to start pull the oranges off of the trees.  I usually begin around Christmas.  After many years, of juicing oranges, I have decided to share the best process to complete this job. I begin by removing the oranges from the tree, I start with the ones that are on the outer perimeter of the tree that may have been susceptible to burning from the sun during summer, and will be at risk of frost that usually happens to a few evenings in January.  The ones located in the middle of the tree are protected and you can usually enjoy them well into February. 

If you are doing a major juicing, which for me is pulling around 100 oranges, I use the Kitchen Aid Juicer attachment.  The best way to protect your hands from getting sticky and preventing the orange juice from running down your arm is to don some disposable gloves.

I begin by cleaning the oranges in the sink.  Then drain them in the colander or dish rack.  Then cut a group of oranges to be juiced.

The best way to set up the juicer, if you do not like pulp and seeds in your orange juice, is to use a large bowl or measuring cup with a strainer positioned over the bowl below the juicer attachment.  The Kitchen Aid strainer will just catch the big stuff.

Turn your Kitchen Aid on to a comfortable speed that does not spray you, or get all over the counter and start juicing.  At times, you will need to clean the strainers and I use a spoon to do the job.

Keep the trash can right at your feet and proceed.  My yield for today was  the following: