Thread: Lard -vs- Crisco (et all)

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Recipes would be greatly appreciated...

I have access to really good butter

We can get the hand rolled Amish or the Fresh Churned Mennonite butter here

I thought about switching to butter but very few of the "Pioneer" style recipes called for it other then as a brush on topping..

Anybody using a Cast Iron Skillet as the baking pan ??? I saw that as an option on a few of the recipes in theory it creates a more even heating and fluffier biscuits

Here you go Glen...

Sour Dough Biscuits:

2 cups flour
1.5 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 TBS Sugar
1/3 Cup chilled Butter or Shortening
1/2 to 1 Cup Buttermilk or 50/50 Buttermilk and Cream ( I use 1/2 and 1/2 in my coffee so that is what I use in stead of cream)
1 Cup Sour Dough starter at room temperature

Night before take out 1 cup of sour dough starter from your sponge and mix it with 1/2 tsp sugar and 1/4 cup of flour on a bowl Add enough water so you can mix it...don't need a lot. Cover loosely with with damp cloth.

Next day:

Mix dry ingredients
Cut in butter or shortening
Combine starter and add the milk slowly 1/2 cup and then the rest as necessary
Mix well with floured hands in bowl and then turn out on floured board.
Step 1. Pat flour down and then roll flat with pin. Step 2. Fold the dough twice ...Repeat step 1 & 2 three to four times BUT no more

Roll the dough flat with a pin and use a cutter to make your biscuits. Set the biscuits in a cast iron pan or a cookie sheet with the biscuits touching each other. Coat the tops of the biscuits with butter

Oven at 425... for up to 20 minutes. Check at 10 minutes and 15 minutes and until golden brown on top.


P.S. If you need a sour dough starter I can send you some. I've had mine since the late 70's early 80's continuously. I got it from my Mom who brought it from Michigan to Cali in 1952. She go it from her Aunt who was 86 at that time (she was born in 1866) so this starter has been around for a real long time.

Use your favourite recipe but replace the wheatflour by 50% oatmeal and 50% porridge oats.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Tasty and old-fashioned may very well go together but they are rarely seen in the company of healthy.

I know what you mean. I've had 3 heart attacks and type 2 diabetes. but ever now and again I eat what I want. you know a person can do most anything once in a while even if it's drinking white whisky.

Originally Posted by mainaman

My question about the recipe is , how much butter? I want to try it.

Uhh.. does not really matter the butter is only used to brush the tops in this recipe.

Now for something different ....... I found it interesting, and IIRC she mentions lard ;

Pass the Chicken Fat! They Say It's Good for You...Â*|Â*Judith J. Wurtman, PhD

Don't hate me because the link is from Huff post ........

And one more ....... The U.S. government is poised to withdraw longstanding warnings about cholesterol - The Washington Post

Schmaltz, the elixir of the Gods. Learned to render it as a child. Haven't done so in years. But it's commercially rendered now. A tub lasts over a year 'cause I only use it once a week, Homemade is rendered with some diced onion and apple for subtle flavor. Need to remelt the commercial and simmer those two in it for 30 minutes and relive my childhood.

Mother used to take the heavily fried onion and apple scraps and and use them as filing for matzo balls. Called them griven.

Biscuits in this context seem to be pretty much the same as scones, my grandma always used to use butter.
adding cheese would be tasty too.
I would bet steph (Nightblade) would be able to help with this one.

True scones taste totally different than biscuits. Flavor, consistency, everything really.

Glen IF you can find this book get one. This is the only picture/description I could find of one and I am sure it will be up for sale a long time :<0) The Doubleday Cookbook by Jean Anderson and Elaine Hanna 1975 Hardcover 0385180373 | eBay

Try garage sales , old book stores, Craig's list, steal one from a neighbors book self in the kitchen but get one.

My "X" learned to cook out of this thing and she could bake anything. I used it myself when I had a chance. I swear the secrets to good cooking are locked in this book. The way to properly fold lard into your rolled dough to get flaky pockets of goodness yummm.

The new version is 2 volumes and full of contemporary health junk :<0)

If you really want to go old school make your own flour from acorns. 1 of the to do things on my bucket lit.

Some really good Ideas and Recipes so far...
I really liked the idea from the Tupelo recipe about "Snaping" the Shortening into the Flour using your fingers..
The idea from the Frozen Butter recipe about using a Grater to add the butter was interesting too...
The Sourdough Biscuits are making my mouth water just thinking about them LOL

I found a place up in Bonners Ferry just North of my place that has Fresh Rendered Lard so I am going to go buy some..
Found another place just down the Hiway that will sell me 5 lbs of Cubed Pig Fat to render my own hehehe might pass on that for now

I think Friday when I go to town I am going to hit up the two places that have Organics and look for an interesting Flour to buy


Pups I am 99% sure that book is at my Sisters house in the basement with my Mom's stuff that we moved up there, since Sis will never use it, I am going to find it and bring it home in July hehehe