You are unlikely to be delighted with lard with a thick, tough skin that is impossible to chew.
Instead of discussing obvious truths, the expert of the online publication BelNovosti, chef Yulia Arkhipova, reminds us that the skin of salted lard will be soft only if the pig carcass was properly processed after slaughter.
This means that for salting you should choose pieces with thin skin, a light brownish tint and the aroma of burnt straw.
A simple test will help: if you can easily pierce fresh lard with a match, then it has passed the test.
Conversely, you should avoid buying lard or bacon if it is sticky and stringy, has a whitish-pink tint, and looks thick.
But let's get back to our "sheep", namely to the process of salting lard.
To ensure that the skin on the lard turns out soft and tasty, you should pour a little water into the bottom of a deep frying pan and put it on the stove.
After the water boils, you need to place the piece of lard prepared for salting in it, skin side down. The water should only cover the skin, without touching the product itself. If the piece is too big and does not fit in the frying pan, you can cut it into several pieces.
Then boil the skin for about 5 minutes, after which salt the lard in any preferred way - dry, hot, cold, and so on.
Earlier we shared a recipe for quick puff pastry.