No, seriously.  There’s nothing like lard for baking flaky pastries and frying tortilla chips.  If you’ve tried the stuff they sell in supermarkets in the city and aren’t happy with the subpar quality, it may be time for a new approach.  On her blog, The Homesick Texan explains how easy it is to make your own lard in NYC.  All you need is a pot, a wooden spoon, some jars and…a pound of pig fat, which is apparently available at the Union Square Green Market.   Click here to see how you too can render lard in your very own, tiny New York kitchen.

Still not convinced?  Check out Mother Linda’s for a flaky pie crust recipe and the skinny on the fat that makes international cooks go wild.  Or click here for a fantastic refried bean recipe (yep, you need lard for that, too).