Baked lard in the oven

For baking, lard with meat layers and a thin skin, which will crunch nicely, is suitable. Especially suitable is the brisket or underside. It is advisable to choose an even piece, the optimal thickness is 2-3 fingers, that is, about 4 cm. If the fat is very thin, then it is better to bake it not in one even piece, but twist it in the form of a roll, then it will not melt so much, and serve will be more original. There is nothing complicated in cooking. First, the fat must be stuffed with garlic, then coated with mustard, aromatic spices and herbs, wrapped in foil and sent to the oven. I recommend baking the bacon a day before the feast, as it needs to cool down properly and cool before serving.

1 hour marinating + 45 min. baking + 4 hours to set / Yield: 550 g

Ingredients

• lard with meat layers - 700 g
• garlic - 4 teeth
• salt - 2 tsp under the knife
• ground black pepper - 0.5 tsp.
• sweet paprika - 2 tsp
• dried basil and oregano - 1 tsp
• mustard - 1 tbsp. l.

How to bake lard in the oven

I clean a piece of bacon with a knife to remove all impurities. It is undesirable to wet it in water, except if there is sand on the surface, then you need to rinse it thoroughly and wipe it dry. I have home-made fresh bacon, bacon, tarted on straw, very fragrant, soft, with a thin skin. I stuff the layer with garlic, peeled and cut into thin slices. I stuff often, about every centimeter, making deep holes in the pulp with a thin and sharp knife. I leave the skin intact, it is not necessary to remove it.

I rub the piece with salt, sweet ground paprika and black pepper on all sides. You should not feel sorry for pepper, it goes very well with this appetizer, however, like garlic. The paprika adds an appetizing color.

I lubricate with mustard, which will add a special flavor to the appetizer and slightly soften the skin. Mustard will go ready, from a jar, not powder.

I sprinkle dry herbs on top - only the white part, without the skin, otherwise it will burn. Basil and oregano perfectly complement the taste of lard, making it more spicy. I leave it in this form to marinate for 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator, wrapped in cling film.

Marinated lard in spices carefully wrapped in foil with the shiny side out. Transfer to an ovenproof dish or onto a baking sheet. If the fat is thin, then roll it into a roll and tie it with kitchen string, then also pack it in foil. Keep in mind that the diameter of the roll should be no more than 10 cm, otherwise it will not bake in the middle. Take strong foil or wrap in two layers so that the skin does not burn.

I send the form for 45 minutes in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees. During cooking, I turn the piece over 3-4 times so that it bakes evenly. I cool the finished, baked lard in foil to room temperature, without opening it, so that it slowly reaches the condition and retains all the juices and rendered fat. Then I put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours until completely solidified (or even better at night).

It remains to cut the fat baked in foil into thin slices and enjoy a fragrant snack. Bon appetit!