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National Lard Day

Food · December 8

A day for lard, the rendered pork fat behind flaky pie crusts, crisp fried foods and many old family recipes.

National Lard Day falls on Tuesday, December 8, 2026. That is 42 days away.

Lard is pork fat that has been rendered, which means it was gently heated until the fat melted away from the tissue, then strained and cooled. What is left is soft, pale and nearly white, with a mild flavor when it is made carefully.

For generations it sat next to the flour in American kitchens. Bakers prized it for pie crust and biscuits, because it makes them tender and flaky in a way that is hard to copy. Cooks used it for frying, too, since it handles high heat well and gives potatoes and chicken a crisp outside.

The word covers more than one kind. Leaf lard comes from the fat around the pig's kidneys and is the cleanest tasting, so pastry cooks tend to seek it out. Regular rendered lard is more common and can carry a faint porky note, which suits savory cooking like refried beans or tamales.

Marking the day usually means cooking with it. Some people bake a pie from an older family recipe card that still lists lard by the spoonful. Others try rendering a small batch at home from fat a butcher sets aside, which mostly takes patience and a low burner. Lard keeps best covered in the refrigerator, where it firms up enough to cut into cold pieces for pastry.

Ways to celebrate

• Bake a pie crust or biscuits using lard instead of butter.
• Ask a local butcher whether they sell leaf lard.
• Try frying potatoes in lard and compare the crust.
• Look for an old family recipe that calls for lard.
• Share a lard pastry with a neighbor or coworker.

Dates

All national days on December 8

Also on December 8

• National Brownie Day
• Pretend To Be a Time Traveler Day
• Take it in the Ear Day

Categories: Food days