Cheese Slave

For the love of cheese

Praise the Lard! July 1, 2008

Filed under: chefs, lard, mexican food, new york city, rendering lard, vacation, videos, zarela, zarela martinez — cheeseslave @ 8:13 am

Zarela NYC

I’m so excited! I came across this restaurant, Zarela, in New York City. It’s a Mexican restaurant that still uses lard. Real, home-rendered lard — not the gross toxic stuff they sell in stores (which Chef Zarela says is “poison”).

Not only that but they have all kinds of wonderful traditional dishes on the menu, things you will not find at most Mexican restaurants — like liver and pork shoulder and roasted duck:

Hígado Encebollado - Pan fried liver marinated in pickled jalapeño juice and Worcestershire sauce. Served with onions and bacon

Cochinita Pibíl - Yucatán-style pork shoulder marinated with achiote and sour oranges and slow cooked. Served in a banana leaf with a red onion, habanero chile and orange relish

Manchamanteles de Pato - Roasted half duck served with a tomato red chile sauce with dried apricots, prunes, raisins and pineapple.

We are definitely going when we are in New York City for vacation! I wonder if we can try her chicharones… they are not on the menu. I will have to ask.

Here’s a video with chef Zarela Martinez, showing how to render lard at home:

 

4 Responses to “Praise the Lard!”

  1. Sarah Jones Says: July 1, 2008 at 10:44 am

    Good find. The menu sounds divine. I rendered some locally-pastured lard the other day, and some of the cracklins garnished our shrimp and grits last night. Praise the lard indeed!

  2. cheeseslave Says: July 1, 2008 at 10:48 am

    YUM! Shrimp, grits, and chicharones!? I want to come over for dinner!

  3. Issis Says: July 2, 2008 at 8:29 pm

    Hello Cheese Slave,

    I have been reading your blog and think it is wonderfull you are posting info on Living the “Nourishing Traditions” way.

    Thank you for the post on the dentist Dr. Silkman, I read his article in the Wise traditions Magazine and am making my appointment tomorrow.

    1 question Re the Fat. I live in California and would like to make my own lard as the Chef does on her video, but where does one buy Fat? What type of fat do you buy?
    Thank you for the info in advance.

  4. cheeseslave Says: July 2, 2008 at 9:01 pm

    I’m sure you will love Dr. Silkman. He is the best.

    I haven’t found a local source for lard (pig fat). I have two sources for beef fat (suet). Rocky Canyon sells it at the Santa Monica farmers market as well as the Hollywood farmer’s market. You can also get it from Lindner Bison.

    I’m still looking for a source for lard. I’m going to need it for my holiday pies. Let me know if you find a source.

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