[Syrah]

Ok I've been on a gumbo kick lately.

My new discovery is lard and I'm never going back to veg oil.  I use the Alton Brown technique of baking the roux in the oven to keep is slow and consistent without constant striring.  I always found a slight rancid oil taste - which my wife (who has a much better palate than me) could not stand.  There was nothing wrong with my vegetable oil.  No rancid smell before cooking, well within its expiry date.  I even tried different veg oils. Same result.

The other day I found some bricks of pure lard and tried that today.  Dramatically better!  Not suprisingly, this is exactly what was apparently used in the day.

Of course, I'm now wondering what else this "magical" lard will improve.

[Tyson]

Lard, butter, and coconut oil are all great to cook with.  I only use olive oil for low-to-medium heat cooking.  The rest of the veggie based oils are actually quite bad for you in the quantities that we consume them. 

[Syrah]

I live in the Cayman Islands and have coconut oil running through my veins.  It is a staple here.

[srb]

I don't use lard myself, but I am told that unlike lard of many years ago, you do have to search to find lard that is not hydrogenated.  Regardless whether a fat is from a vegetable or animal source, hydrogenation produces trans fats which are the most unhealthy of all fats.
 
If you are unable to find non-hydrogenated lard, your health would be much better served using olive oil, non-hydrogenated coconut oil or butter.
 
Steve

[Syrah]

I hear ya. This is English hippie lard and it was pretty hard to find in the sea of shortening.  It's surprising that I was unable to find a single recipe that deviated from vegetable oil for gumbo.  I heard that heating vegetable oil can break it down and make it unsafe as well.  I might just get myself a pork belly and render it down or buy some duck fat.  All of this reminds me of a scene from Woodie Allen's movie Sleeper where everything that is now bad for you they realize (in the future) is good for you and the doctor tells his patient, "come on, it's tobacco!".

[Tyson]

http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/makeyourownlard

[WGH]

Interesting using lard. I learned to make gumbo from a couple of Lake Charles, Louisiana natives and they used vegetable oil and flour in a frying pan, but you have to be fearless to get the dark chocolate color. I or my guests have never experience the rancid taste.

A cast iron pan works best, plenty of stirring, and chopped vegetables on the ready. Sounds like your method works for you. What do you put into your gumbo?

Lard was traditionally used in home-made tamales, tortillas, green chili, pie crusts and Ritz crackers, they're just not the same without lard.

Wayne

[Syrah]

Great link Tyson.  Thanks.  I'm on it. 

Wayne - I actually didn't really notice the off flavor myself until my wife pointed it out.  Then of course it's like a pimple on your nose that keeps looking bigger.

For the roux, it's a much wider window of doneness in the oven.  And since the heat isn't all from the bottom, it keeps you off stirring duty. I agree that cast iron is a must.  Check out Alton Brown's gumbo episode. 

My recipe varies.  But I do like it with okra.  I usually start with filtered water, boil it, blanche some shrimp then shock them with ice and set aside until the end.  I use the same boiling bwater to slow cook some chicken thighs.  I cut up a holy trinity in a big soup pot (starting with sweating the onions), then mix it all together at the end.  Sometimes I'll add some chopped fennel.  I don't really like the sweetness that tomatoes or tomato paste bring to the party, but I will throw in some white wine for a bit of acidity.  I'm usually careful not to let my seafood overcook by adding it late in the game.  Being in the Caribbean, I always go with scotch bonnet peppers (i.e. habaneros) for some kick.  Oh yeah, and cubed smoked Kielbasa - pretty close to Cajun andouille, which has nothing in common with French andouille which is a smoked tripe sausage.

[WGH]

Alton Brown's recipe is good recipe but you are right - no tomatoes go into a respectable gumbo. Here is the YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SzAz6RfkYo

I'll have to try the oven roux and see if I notice the difference but I do like the richness of a dark roux. When I make gumbo for our group I make 2 batches, a vegetarian with okra and a pot with chicken and sausage thickened with filé powder.

Wayne

[Dan Driscoll]

I heard that heating vegetable oil can break it down and make it unsafe as well.

All oils are fats and any fat, including lard, that is heated past its smoke point will begin to break down and is no longer safe for consumption. This is true whether it is a vegetable oil, nut oil or animal fat, hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated.

Link

[Occam]

Bacon drippings always add a certain heart grabbing goodness for the sauteing vegtables & aromatics, spices and/or making roux for Carbonade, Goulash, Daube, Coq au Vin, etc....

[Tyson]

All oils are fats and any fat, including lard, that is heated past its smoke point will begin to break down and is no longer safe for consumption. This is true whether it is a vegetable oil, nut oil or animal fat, hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated.

Link

Absolutely spot on and very important point!

[some young guy]

I always render my own duck and pork fat. Not only is it better tasting, but it's just more fun. I love rendering fat! If you're a cook in my kitchen and I ask you to strain the duck fat, you know you're in my good graces. 

[datman]

My wife is Cajun from Bayou Lafourche Louisiana so I DO know what it takes to make a proper gumbo or fricassee.  Just the other day I made a pettit pois fricassee using manteca (lard used to cook carnitas) for the roux instead of corn oil.  I immediately noticed the colour and consistency of the roux was MUCH better.  As a result the fricassee was thicker, tasted MUCH richer and did not have the slightly burned taste of an oil based roux.  My wife said this is how she grew up making roux.  Of course they raised their own pigs so the lard was VERY fresh.

I make my roux on top of the stove using a cast iron pot.  No matter what I do or try and change it always seems to take 40 minutes or so to make a roux.  By the way, my deceased mother in law used to call the occasional flecks of black in her roux "seasoning."

The downside is the significantly increased richness of the finished dish.  I am going to try making a roux next time using shortening and taste how this turns out.  If I get the same qualities as the lard based roux with a little less richness, I think this will be perfect.

[some young guy]

The downside is the significantly increased richness of the finished dish.  I am going to try making a roux next time using shortening and taste how this turns out.  If I get the same qualities as the lard based roux with a little less richness, I think this will be perfect.

Why not use less roux or add more liquid?

[Rob Babcock]

Sadly around here all the lard I've seen contains hydrogenated lard!   That defeats the whole purpose of a healthier fat.