using pig fat "pre-lard" for sausage

[jorgy-69]

So I have a few big packages for pig fat from a hog last fall in my freezer. On the package it has instructions for making lard from it. My google skills are really failing me on this one, because I think I am just ignorant on the right words to use.
Anyway, I want to make some breakfast sausages from venison, and of course you have to mix fat in. Can I use the fat from my pig that is packaged as "use this to make lard? From the frozen package, it looks like ijt's just pig fat and ran it through a real course grinder. Everytime i google this I get, you can't use lard for sausage, but it's not lard yet.
So, can i use that fat for my sausage?

 

[CFLJOHN512]

Yes absolutely you can use pig fat in your sausages.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Whenever it was available, we always put pork fat in our sausage. We would try to stockpile it in our freezers throughout the year, but it's hard to do with commercially raised pork because it's raised to be so lean. Boston Butts are a decent substitute but not the same as pure pork fat for the above reason.

 

[Brokenhandle]

As the others have said...yes! Otherwise known as pork back fat, it's my preference to use this if available

Ryan

 

[smokerjim]

That's basically all use use with my deer meat. I usually add 2 pounds of straight pork fat to 8 pounds of deer.

 

[tallbm]

So I have a few big packages for pig fat from a hog last fall in my freezer. On the package it has instructions for making lard from it. My google skills are really failing me on this one, because I think I am just ignorant on the right words to use.
Anyway, I want to make some breakfast sausages from venison, and of course you have to mix fat in. Can I use the fat from my pig that is packaged as "use this to make lard? From the frozen package, it looks like ijt's just pig fat and ran it through a real course grinder. Everytime i google this I get, you can't use lard for sausage, but it's not lard yet.
So, can i use that fat for my sausage?

Hi there and welcome!

Like the others have said, just grind that up and use it with your sausage. It is plain pork fat.

FYI, my understanding of making lard is that you "render" porkfat down to make lard.
Rendering is basically heating up the porkfat so that the fat melts into a liquid. The rendered liquid is saved and stored and becomes "lard" when cooled and at room temp.
The stuff that doesnt render down will not become lard and is discarded.

This may clear up why the msg said to use that fat to make lard and why that fat ISN'T actually lard at the moment.

I hope this helps :)

 

[Gonna Smoke]

For information, lard is rendered fat.

 

[forktender]

For information, lard is rendered fat.

yup, don't use lard in sausage unless the recipe calls for it use the leaf fat if you saved it if not use whatever you saved. Don't turn it into lard because most sausage recipes call for fat even though some people might call it lard by mistake there is a big difference between the two when it comes to sausage making.

 

[indaswamp]

...And pork fat is not 'suet'...
Suet is from around the kidneys of cows.

I heard the term suet used for pork fat from a few local people, and it's just not the right terminology to use with pork fat....

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Yeah what fork said.

 

[FFchampMT]

A good way to tell the difference between pork lard and pork leaf fat is the texture.
Lard is soft and uniform, like crisco (think saved bacon drippings).
Leaf fat is hard, it's just trimmed fat, specifically organ fat.
To add to the confusion there's also fat back and pork trim, which is from muscle trim.

Beef suet is beef organ fat. I grind and then render suet down in a crock pot for most of a day to make tallow. Tallow is hard as a rock if you store it in the fridge, but has a super high smoke point for searing steaks, and is awesome to use in homemade biscuits.