Pork, fresh, separable fat, raw

Separable pork fat is the solid fat trimmed away from a cut of pork rather than the meat itself, the kind of trim a butcher removes from chops or roasts. Cooks render it down in a pan to produce lard for frying and baking, or grind small amounts into sausage mixes to add moisture and richness to leaner cuts of ground pork. Rendered pork fat has a clean, neutral flavor once strained and is prized in pastry and pan-frying for the crisp texture it gives to crusts and fried foods.

Raw fat trim should be refrigerated and used promptly, or rendered down into lard and stored in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer for much longer keeping. Per 100 g it is 65.7 g fat, with 632 calories per 100 g, and carries 9.25 g of protein per 100 g, reaching 19% DV, though it is used sparingly as a cooking fat or sausage-making ingredient rather than eaten as a standalone portion. A typical use is by the tablespoon after rendering, not by the ounce as a meat serving.