[shroomgirl]

kidneys....the pig halves I get (typically 300# live weight pigs cut in half, cleaned with head in a bag, liver and heart in a bag) have the kidney attached to the leaf lard with a slit in it....it's really really hard to find info on how to clean and prep kidneys.....well or any guts. Everything from boil the pee out of them to soak in salt water or milk.....it's also difficult to find trimming instructions, pix are good.....any suggestions on where to get that info.

Lots of Fat.....a year ago, one of my pig farmers brought me half of a 400# tammworth sow, the fat running along the outside of the pig was a deep as my index finger all the way from spine to belly. There are photos of it somewhere in CT photo gallery. There's still a serious slab in the freezer.....any suggestions for it's use?

[Bruce Aidells]

Try making lard. Its great fat for cooking a baking

[shroomgirl]

yep, I render down the leaf lard for biscuits and pies.....typically the other is for frying, it's just rare to have such a thick large piece

[phatch]

You could cut it in thin veneers (tricky) and do some wrapped forcemeat type presentations. Sort of like with Caul fat?

[shroomgirl]

did that with pate loaves....really neat to cover a whole loaf with just a couple of sheets of lard.

[Bruce Aidells]

You could also make lardo, the Italian cured fat which has become popular becuase of chefs like Mario Batali. I have a very good recipe in my pork cookbook.

[Bruce Aidells]

You can also use sheets to wrap small birds or around fillet steaks.
B