Lard: Uses for Frying, Roasting and Sweets

Lard: From Pole to Roast Piglet

Lard is back at the table. For decades it was the fat used to fry potatoes over wood fires and spread on bread, and today it reappears in conversations about cooking and health with two contradictory narratives: it is accused of being unhealthy and claimed as the most stable fat for cooking. The discussion starts with a simple question—what is it used for and is it healthy?—and ends with an inventory of applications ranging from savory to sweet, from the pan to cured ham.

Manteca de gorrino (rendered pork fat) is pig fat that has been melted and clarified. Its traditional use in Spain goes beyond frying: it appears in mantecados and pole (traditional Christmas shortbreads), chicharrón cakes, patatas revolconas, loin and chorizo preserved in lard, and even ensaïmadas (Mallorcan pastries). The list of applications discussed is long and very regional: white and colored lard for spreading, zurrapa (spreadable lard), roast suckling pig, pastries, non-sticky pasta when cooled, and a thin layer over sliced jamón ibérico to prevent drying out.

Is lard healthy for cooking?

The most repeated argument is technical, not nutritional. Lard is an animal fat, mostly saturated, which makes it more heat-stable: it withstands high temperatures, oxidizes less, and can be reused. In contrast, olive oil is presented as excellent raw but less resistant to fire, while seed oils like sunflower are considered very unstable. Some argue that animal fat was demonized for commercial interests, while others respond that calorie-dense fats remain unhealthy in excess. The debate remains open.

Traditional uses: from roast piglet to cured ham

Lard is not just frying fat. It is used for roasting, making Christmas sweets, and preservation. Spreading a thin layer of lard on the cut surface of a ham prevents oxidation and drying; removing it leaves the ham juicy. It has also been used to preserve loin and chorizo, and in vegan cooking it is mentioned as a trick to improve legume dishes, with the obvious caveat that they cease to be vegan.

The price of fat: between tradition and distrust

Meat and animal fat consumption has changed significantly in recent decades. Previously, everything from the pig slaughter was utilized; today, four industrial cuts dominate, along with ultra-processed foods loaded with hydrogenated fats. Lard was sidelined not by scientific discovery, but by dietary shifts and changing narratives. Defenders point to the pharmaceutical industry and statins; critics point to calories.

With these elements, it is predictable that lard will continue to gain ground in kitchens prioritizing product quality and lose in those focused on nutritional labels. Available evidence does not settle the issue, and anyone claiming otherwise is probably selling something.