I know this will sound like a silly question to some but I know that there are no silly questions. What is the difference between lard and shortening? I have a big tub of lard and would like to know what I can use it for. Can I use it in place of shortening for icing? Any help here is greatly appreciated.
Lard is pork fat while shortening (like Crisco) is vegetable fat. I would not use it in my icing. My grandmother used to use lard in her buttermilk biscuits.
Here's more info-
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-lard.htm
Lard is animal (pig) fat, and shortening is vegetable fat. Lard is not used much anymore because it is very high in saturated fat. It is great for pie crust--makes a very flaky crust. I don't think I would use it for icing--it can have a distinct flavor of its own.
My mother used lard for her pie crust. It was very flakey. Biscuits too.
She used it to fry stuff in that she did not want to stick in the pan, like fried potatoes. I think back in the day they used it all the time.
Shortening is a fat or oil - lard, butter, margarine, oleo, and every edible oil [both solid of liquid] is a shortening. It can be made of purely or either an animal or vegetable product or a mixture of both.
Lard is a shortening that is a pure animal fat: generally pork, if you are American: usually beef, if you are Australian: mostly, any animal that is edible. Chicken fat is also a lard.
Since your OP was answered I will just add this...
What ever you do.. please PLEASE do not use LARD to make your icing !! I know for a fact that it is hideous!!! my wedding cake.. the woman used lard and NO ONE could eat it. GAG..just thinking about it.
It was my wedding cake that got me into making cakes.. I never wanted another bride to be so disappointed in her wedding cake as i was. It wasnt even decorated like I ordered either. 
Lard is a shortening that is a pure animal fat: generally pork, if you are American: usually beef, if you are Australian: mostly, any animal that is edible. Chicken fat is also a lard.
I thought chicken fat was schmaltz and beef fat was suet?
Doug, according to Jeffrey Steingarten, the best fries are fried in horse fat. My DH really wants to try that one day. Me, I'll stick to peanut oil.
horse fat?!?!?!? so no going there.
tho' peanut oil fries do sound interesting.
frying kind of beef fat is tallow which is purified from suet. (suet being raw unprocessed beef fat and more for feeding to birds and such)
and McD's no longer cooks their fries in tallow! and there goes another great food!
This is because they lied and claimed their fries were "vegetarian" (mod edited). ~ I don't eat fast food, so I'm sorry if this seems insensitive toward your post Doug...not intended. 
Buddy on Cake Boss uses lard to deep fry his cannoli's I believe he said....and they are really freaking gooooooooooood.....I just quit taking my zocor too hahaha....yikes, no more cannoli for Nanna
frying kind of beef fat is tallow which is purified from suet. (suet being raw unprocessed beef fat and more for feeding to birds and such)
and McD's no longer cooks their fries in tallow! and there goes another great food!This is because they lied and claimed their fries were "vegetarian" (mod edited) ~ I don't eat fast food, so I'm sorry if this seems insensitive toward your post Doug...not intended.
oh, I knew about that and the whole lawsuit.
but....there are times when I'm AGAINST accommodating, when I feel it IS appropriate to say "well, I guess my product is just not for you."
and there you are..............I rest my case....moderator edited everything lol
Schmaltz or schmalz is rendered chicken or goose fat ie lard.
Suet is beef or lamb fat, ie lard, found around the animals' loins and kidneys. Kidney suet is more common - pure white with little flavour.
Tallow is a rendered or melted-down suet.
Many cultures eat horse: just like others eat dog, cat, cavy [guinea pig], rat, possum, moose, buffalo, elephant, etc... We are demonstrably opportunistic omnivores ...
[quote="Doug"]
tho' peanut oil fries do sound interesting.
Doug, ever eaten at Chick-fil-A? They use peanut oil for all of their frying. (As does Five Guys, the best darn hamburger 'n fries joint around!) Peanut oil has a higher smoke point than corn, soy, or canola oils, thus it is better suited for frying. We use it exclusively at our house for all deep-frying. It does not have a peanut taste to it.
makes fantastic buttermilk pie crust 
or any pie crust for that matter...
b/c of the almost zero percent water content when it cooks it creates pockets of air (ie. flakes in pie crust) which make for a very flaky crust..
[quote="prterrell"]
tho' peanut oil fries do sound interesting.
Doug, ever eaten at Chick-fil-A? They use peanut oil for all of their frying. (As does Five Guys, the best darn hamburger 'n fries joint around!) Peanut oil has a higher smoke point than corn, soy, or canola oils, thus it is better suited for frying. We use it exclusively at our house for all deep-frying. It does not have a peanut taste to it.
heard about this and want to try it for my fried chkn...where do u buy it in a big enough size for deep-frying? (I've seen small bottles for $8 
)
[quote="tavyheather"]
tho' peanut oil fries do sound interesting.
Doug, ever eaten at Chick-fil-A? They use peanut oil for all of their frying. (As does Five Guys, the best darn hamburger 'n fries joint around!) Peanut oil has a higher smoke point than corn, soy, or canola oils, thus it is better suited for frying. We use it exclusively at our house for all deep-frying. It does not have a peanut taste to it.
heard about this and want to try it for my fried chkn...where do u buy it in a big enough size for deep-frying? (I've seen small bottles for $8
)
yes to chick-fil-a, tho' didn't notice any big difference other than near choking on the price.
>> check for big containers of peanut oil at Loews and Home Depot of all places next to the turkey fryers or anywhere else that sells those little machines from heaven! (OH MY HEAVENS is turkey fried in peanut oil good good good G O O D GOOD!)
>>yep, know all about the various smoke points on oils -- tho to quote Rachel Ray -- love my EVOO (you're talking to someone who started learning to cook at 4, used to sit and watch ORIGINAL French Chef episodes, yellow note pad in hand... and grew up with a can for bacon grease on the stove -- it was NOT thrown out but used for just about anything we could could it in (anyone care for wilted dandelion greens?)
saweeeeeeet! thanks! Never in a million years did I think to check Lowes...was in there 3 times last week, too...DIY cake board fiasco...
We buy ours (peanut oil) at BJ's wholesale club.
no idea who that is...we must be deprived in CA
I think the difference is..........no one has ever called me shortening............hehehe
Lard is the fat that can handle the highest temperature without burning itself...
I use it for making the profiteroles dough. It's also wonderful to cover lamb and other meats to roast. Mix all the spices and salt on the lard and then rub the meat with it. It's wonderful.
And I have read that is the best thing to deep fry rosettes.
Shortening is a hydrogenated fat. Very handy, great results but very VERY HARMFUL to your health. This is the nurse speaking
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