In the Spirit of the Authentic and the Traditional, Healthy Fats Coalition Celebrates Dec. 8 as Second Annual #NationalLardDay

Under the auspices of the Healthy Fats Coalition (HFC) and ideally timed for the holidays, this Sunday, Dec. 8, will mark the second annual #NationalLardDay — a celebration of pure lard, a traditional, authentic animal fat that is now enjoying a resurgence within America’s food culture, in restaurants, fast food operations and home kitchens.

#NationalLardDay is the brainchild of the HFC, a group of like-minded organizations, companies and individuals that have developed an educational initiative dedicated to the proposition that healthy fats aren’t merely having a moment – they’re here to stay, as an essential part of the American diet.  The HFC’s mission is simple: affirm that animal fats deserve a central place in kitchen, on the table and in the popular imagination.

For the HFC, #NationalLardDay caps another year of “healthy fats” appreciation, which kicked off with #NationalHealthyFatsDay on March 21. The Coalition also promotes #National BeefTallowDay, July 13 (which coincides with National French Fry Day). The HFC’s message for each day: mark the occasion by tasting the difference yourself.  #NationalLardDay occurs just ahead of National Pastry Day, Dec. 9.

“Fat is the soul of flavor,” wrote Nina Teicholz in her groundbreaking book, Big Fat Surprise (Simon & Schuster, 2014).  “Food is tasteless and cooking nearly impossible without fat.  Fat is essential in the kitchen to produce crispness and to thicken sauces. It is crucial in conveying flavors.  It makes baked goods flaky, moist, and light. And fat has many other essential functions in cooking and baking.”

“Artificial trans fats are out, and minimally processed animal fats like lard — for superior baking, frying and a host of other cooking applications– are back,” said Eric R. Gustafson, CEO of Coast Packing Company, a founding member of the HFC. “The color, texture and flavor that lard imparts make it a vastly superior alternative to heavily processed, industrially produced substitutes.  Lard is traditional, authentic and impossible to duplicate.  On #NationalLardDay, taste the difference yourself!”

“I am firmly in the lard camp,” popular Food Network icon Alton Brown has proclaimed.  “When you’re working with it… lard is going to stay more solid, which is great for flakiness.”

Affirming that the initiative continues to gather momentum, the HFC recently welcomed to its ranks two new supporters — Hickory Nut Gap Meatsand Sutton Ridge Farm.  HNG is a working family farm that promotes regenerative agriculture. They raise cattle, hogs, chickens, turkeys and perennial berries and apples. Sutton Ridge Farm is another family owned and operated farm. Products include grass-fed, dry-aged Highland beef; milk-fed pork, grass-fed lamb, raw fleeces, roving, yarn, wool products, and whole grains.