Polish Pork Lard Spread (Smalec)

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Grind the diced white pork fat and place it in a large skillet. Fry until fat is transparent, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the onion, garlic, and bacon, and sauté until bacon is golden brown and the fat has rendered out.

4. Add the apples and season to taste with optional marjoram, pepper, and salt to taste. Be careful with the salt because the bacon can be salty. But you must add enough for the smalec to have good flavor.

5. Transfer to a stoneware crock or heatproof jar. Leave at room temperature until fat has solidified. Then store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

6. Serve this spread on rye bread with sliced onion on top and pickles on the side, if desired, and a steaming hot mug of sweet or spiked tea. Do like the Poles do and enjoy this after a cold-weather activity like skiing, sledding, or sleigh rides (kulig).

Lard Is Better for You Than You Think

Lest you think lard is more unhealthy than butter, un-hydrogenated lard has less saturated fat, more unsaturated fat, and less cholesterol than butter and none of the trans fat found in shortening and margarine.

Rendered Pork Fat Popular Among Most Slavs

Smalec isn't unique to Polish cuisine. In Hungary, it's known as disznózsír while Lithuanians say taukai. Croatians, Serbians, and Slovenians say mast; Czechs and Slovaks say sádlo. Bulgarians say svinska mas, and Romanians say untură. In Russia and Ukraine, slices of pork fat known as salo are eaten without being rendered. And, of course, rendered chicken fat is known as schmaltz in the Jewish culture.

Smalec Substitute

Most people render pork fat to make smalec which is spread on rye bread and sprinkled liberally with salt. But in some families, the onion-flavored congealed drippings that are a byproduct of a pork roast dinner are used as a make-do substitute. The flavor is delicious.