Suet Puddings and Pies (and Lard Pastry)

Lard is much more available here, even leaf lard, which is the creme de la creme of lard. I think suet would have to.be ordered from a specialty butcher. It's amazing how pastry is much more flaky with lard than with butter or crisco. Maybe it could be a suet or lard thread? They are both fat from animals with leaf lard being from the same area in pigs as suet is from cows or mutton.
 
Lard is much more available here, even leaf lard, which is the creme de la creme of lard. I think suet would have to.be ordered from a specialty butcher. It's amazing how pastry is much more flaky with lard than with butter or crisco. Maybe it could be a suet or lard thread? They are both fat from animals with leaf lard being from the same area in pigs as suet is from cows or mutton.

I'm unsure what the difference is between lard and suet. Here lard is softer and comes in blocks. Suet comes in 'pellets' and is not soft until mixed. Lard is used for 'raised hot water pastry' as used in pork pies which is rather different from suet pastry.

Feel free to explore the differences... we can include that. I'll amend the title and top post.
 
When I used to kill and cut up sheep and pigs many years ago, I used to render down the fat to make dripping. The thickest fat was around the kidneys. Big fat layer of fat. Messy but things were a bit tighter in those days. 35 years ago. The kidneys were the first prized possession.

Russ
 
Here is a bit more info about suet. The final bullet point below suggests how to make your own - but doesn't say what kind of fat to use.

I now understand why suet pastry is so different from other types of pastry (bullet point 2)
  • The best suet comes from the fat that grows around the kidneys in cows and sheep.
  • Butter and shortening melt earlier in the cooking process, blending right into batters. Suet, because of its higher melting point, melts much later: after the batter has begun to set. When it melts, it leaves spaces in the setting batter, making the batter lighter than butter or shortening can. Many British recipes call for suet because it is a very standard ingredient that is easy to buy off the shelf in the UK.
  • In Canada, you can buy bags of frozen suet by companies such as “Maple Leaf” in supermarket chains , particularly around Christmas. There are a few different brands of boxed, shelf-stable vegetable suet that get imported to North America. You can get balls of suet destined for bird feeding but it’s very unlikely that they would be food-grade for humans, or that sellers would risk saying they were.
  • To render your own. Stick raw fat in a baking dish in a hot oven, and melt it. Throw out any solids remaining, and pour carefully into a large bowl to cool. As it starts to solidify, mix in ice water with a hand mixer or whisk until it gets very solid. Pour off the water, and put in fridge to cool and dry. Roll up into balls, wrap in plastic film, and freeze until needed. Grate frozen if required when you go to use it.
Source: https://www.cooksinfo.com/suet
 
Leaf lard also has a higher melting point than butter, 43-48 C vs 30-35 C for butter.

Leaf lard specifically comes from the soft, fat from around the kidneys and loin of the pig. It also has very, very little porky taste or smell, unlike the lard obtained from other fatty regions in the pig. Leaf lard is also a good deal more expensive than plain lard.
 
My grandma and mum cooked with suet (proper mincemeat for mince pies, lard (lardy cake) and beef dripping on toast. As I can't eat animal fats mum started using vegetarian atora but rarely makes anything like suet puddings etc these days.
 
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I'd sure like to try English made suet beef pie. Can't say I ever saw it when I've been in the uk. I'm sure learning a lot though. I will ask my friend, a retired butcher.

Russ
 
My grandmain and mum cooked with suet (proper mincemeat for mince pies, lard (lardy cake) and beef dripping on toast. As I can't eat animal fats mum started using vegetarian atora but rarely makes anything like suet puddings etc these days.

'Lardy cake' ! That brings back memories. I think the vegetarian (vegan) suet is pretty good and I use it a lot.
 
In my recall, lard is rendered fat and suet is the raw fat from beef or mutton. I can remember seeing it for sale about thirty years ago here in Buckinghamshire. We can still buy nose-rings for pigs just down the road...
 
Only time i have heard of suet is in the bird section of pet supple stores. You can get suet mixed with seed to feed the birds.
 
I love lard and suet pastry....its much easier to work with than shortcrust and puff. As well as steamed puddings (which we're not really a fan of in this house), suet pastry also makes wonderful pie crusts - they come out fairly heavy and dense but with a wonderful crispy, flaky top.

The only pastry I use lard for is hot water crust but I don't make it that often as I find it a bit heavy. I do usually make a leftover turkey and ham pie after Christmas but I make it a slicing pie size rather than traditional pork pie size so that there's more filling and less pastry per portion.

I also use suet or lard or make dumplings to serve in stews and goulash - again, they're very simple to do and they come out really light and fluffy.
 
Oh yes! I love suet dumplings - I haven't tried lard though. What proportion lard to flour do you use?
I use lard when I've run out of suet, so about the same amount as I would suet. If using lard then I rub it into the flour (same as making scones) before bringing together with cold water. Suet gives a fluffier texture, but lard makes an ok substitute if needed.
 
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