This versatile fat makes my tamales, fried chicken, noodles, and baked goods so much better. Depending on the batch, lard's flavor can range from distinctly meaty to neutral and all-but flavorless.

It seems like in the past couple of years, the conversation around cooking fats has hit a fever pitch. Social media trends push certain oils while the health and wellness hamster wheel constantly ...

At the beginning of every month, I make a fresh batch of lard. I swing by my local butcher shop and lug home bags of leaf lard, the ropey-looking section of pork fat that clings to the pig's kidney ...