Four-letter word

To most people, lard is a four-letter word. It was for me, up until about five years ago. Synonymous with gross, the word brings visions of greasy food and greasy hair into most people's minds. Why would anyone want to use the stuff? It's pig fat, for gosh sakes! Why would you want to cook with pig fat?

Well, because lard is good to cook with. Really good, in fact. I'm not talking 'spread it on your toast' good -- even I would shy a bit before doing that. But nothing can beat lard in a pie crust, and it's just the thing if you want really crispy hash browns.

Some folks are deterred by the fact that lard is, indeed, fat from a pig. I am amazed by this -- don't people realize that 1/3 of the fillings in hot dogs, brats and sausages are pig fats? Are folks unaware that bacon is streaked with pig fat? And what is it that makes a good pork roast so succulent and tender -- magic fairy water?

America is fat phobic, thanks in large part to our two world wars. Animal fats were in short supply during wartime, so agribusiness (such as it was in those years) began huge advertising campaigns to convince folks to buy margarine and shortening, instead of butter and lard. They told folks that these new wonder foods were far more healthy than their old-fashioned counterparts. Lots of talk about saturated fats and high cholesterol, and lots of studies linking those things to a wealth of medical problems.

But wait! Holy triglycerides, Batman! It seems we were being misled all along. It seems that margarine and vegetable shortening have gone through a procedure called hydrogenation. It seems this hydrogenation process creates somethings called trans fats. And, it seems that trans fats are a lot worse than saturated fat for your health.

But forget about the science. Truth to tell, trying to keep up with all the science is a little daunting to me. Especially since I'm not sure what to believe. Scientific studies can be manipulated to reach any outcome, depending on who's paying for the research. That's why I try to rely more on common sense. Three particular bits of common sense, in this case.

Common sense tells me that the closer a food is to its original form, the better it is. Lard passes this test -- no hydrogenation, no chemical additives, no artificial anything. Straight from the pig. Watch out for store-bought lard, though -- likely it's been hydrogenated to lengthen shelf-life.

Common sense also tells me that hundreds (or thousands) of years of people eating something is better research than a few decades of human experimentation. Lard has been around a long time, folks. People know just about all there is to know about it, and nobody is trying to keep that knowledge hidden. Which is more than we can say for most of the processed, industrialized food out there.

Common sense tells me that if I can pronounce a food and its ingredients, it's better for me. Anything longer than three syllables and a red flag goes up. Any hyphens between syllables and a siren starts going off. Again, lard passes this test with flying colors. You can't get any easier than 'lard.' One syllable, no hyphens.

After all, it is just a four-letter word.