Benefits of using lard and tallow.
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The first benefit is the healthfulness of cooking with lard and tallow. As I stated above, tallow comes from beef fat, while lard comes from pork fat. These two fats, in particular, are at the top of the list as far as nutrition quality. First, they have none of the trans fatty acids that vegetable shortening does. In addition, they are high in monounsaturated fats, which is shown to actually lower the risk of heart disease. Third, lard and tallow both have a perfect ratio of Omega 3 fatty acids to Omega 6. And lastly, tallow and lard are both high in vitamin D, which is shown to improve the overall immune system. (3)(4)
The second benefit of cooking with real animal fats is simply the flavor. Let’s face it; fat tastes good! How many of you have had rolls crisped to perfection in lard, or steak cooked in tallow – its own fat? Yum! Foods cooked in animal fats not only taste so much better than those cooked in rancid vegetable oils, but they are much higher in nutrition as well.
Third, is the benefit of following our ancestral tradition. In the early primal ages, people did not have factory fats and vegetable oils to live off of. They lived off the land. Our primal ancestors thrived by living off the land. As I stated at the beginning of this post, not even a century ago, our grandparents thrived eating traditional fats. I still hear my Dad share stories of when he was a child and his grandmother used to pour the bacon grease in a jar and savor every bit of it. Cooking with animal fats is a nourishing tradition, and far outweighs modern day use of commercially processed vegetable oils.
The fourth benefit is the cost savings of cooking with animal fats. If you are like me, pinching every penny and looking for ways to save is a must in following a traditional ancestral diet. These foods surely are not cheap! Might I add that here in southern California I am paying $17.99 for one gallon of raw milk. So, if there are other opportunities to save, I jump on them. One of the blessings and benefits of cooking with lard or tallow is that they can be reused. In other words, when you are through cooking and there is still a puddle of fat at the bottom of the skillet, it can be filtered and put back in the refrigerator for another use! (5)
The fifth, but certainly not the last benefit, is the sustainability of cooking with animal fats. When an animal is killed, every part of it should be utilized or eaten. Certainly, as always, sourcing is so important. Tallow and lard from animals raised on healthy pastures, and that I know are free of parasites, hormones, and antibiotics is crucial. After all, the animals that are raised the best, will produce the healthiest food sources. Check out our loved and respected brand, Fatworks, which sources both Lard and Tallow. I enjoy them both regularly!
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