Pig fat - to buy or not to buy

(16 posts) (7 voices)
  • Started 2 weeks ago by Raphael S.
  • Latest reply from Raphael S.

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  1. Raphael S.
    Member

    Okay so finally I found some animal fat at the supermarket. Although not exactly lard, it's at least almost pure pig fat - easily converted into lard. So my question is, is it safe to consume it despite being commercial (non-organic)? Is there a lot of toxins in the fat? Am I better off without it?

    It's cheap as hell also - less than 1$ per pound.

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  2. JamieBelle
    Member

    Personally, I wouldn't. My "lard" comes from the hormone/antibiotic free bacon I fry each weekend, and pour into a can. I store it in the fridge and use it for cooking throughout the week. :)

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  3. Raphael S.
    Member

    Okay thanks.

    Anyone else...?

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  4. eyeshield9
    Member

    I also read pig has a bad n6-n3 ratio so, no for me as well.

    I'd skip it...

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  5. CaveGirl
    Member

    I wouldn't because regular factory-farm pig has a lot of toxins in it, most of which is stored in the fat. I would hold out until you can get something better.

    In Mark's book he talks about the fact that if you can't get grassfed meat, eat the really lean cuts and supplement with good fish oil or coconut oil because since the toxins/chemicals in animals mostly gets stored in the fat its a more dangerous option to get the low-grade stuff.

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  6. Raphael S.
    Member

    This way I'll never eat ribs in my life again...

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  7. maba
    Member

    Check out this link from Nutrition Data. Change the serving size to 1 tbsp and scroll all the way to the bottom and expand the Fatty Acid tab. It doesn't say if this lard is from pastured or conventionally-raised pigs, but I'll assume it's not pastured. The o3:o6 ratio is 1:10 and a tbsp of lard has 1300mg of o6 and there's no way my 1 pill of fish-oil of 1000mg is going to offset that. That makes me think about the unpastured uncured bacon I've been eating.

    http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fats-and-oils/483/2

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  8. Raphael S.
    Member

    maba, but nuts usually have much more n-6 than that!

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  9. maba
    Member

    erm, I'm in denial when it comes to nuts. I know I HAVE to reduce the amount of nuts I eat but other than that this whole exercise of keeping tab on o3:o6 ratios seems so tedious.

    ETA: Tallow seems to have a better ratio of ~ 1:5.

    http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fats-and-oils/482/2

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  10. Raphael S.
    Member

    I think you're worrying too much about it. Some of us here seem to believe that a 1:1 ration is not even necessary. Grok obviously didn't care about it... neither did all those civilizations who had no excess to seafood, I believe.

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  11. CaveGirl
    Member

    Ralphael, the only reason Grok didn't care about ratios is that he didn't have to contend with grain/corn fed factory farm meat. Grassfed meats have much higher amounts of the good Omega 3 (plus a lot of other goodness like CLA).

    I still will eat regular ribs every one and then (and offset as much as I can with fish oil and grassfed foods) but my only comment was that you shouldn't be buying straight up fat if it isn't as clean as possible. Just my two cents.

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  12. Raphael S.
    Member

    Oh, okay. Thanks, won't be buying it then! Although I had some really fatty commercial veal ribs yesterday... yummm

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  13. syzchan
    Member

    Aww, that's a bummer to hear about pig fat. I was starting to fall in love with fatty cuts of it!

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  14. Raphael S.
    Member

    What exactly? The n-6 or the toxins? If you have access to good pig fat, then eat away... it's the toxins that really are the problem.

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  15. OnTheBayou
    Member

    Use it, eat it. Jeez, not everyone has organic, grass fed, slaughtered with Mozart meat. There's this reactionary presumption that CAFO meat is loaded with "toxins", whatever they might be and probably w/o any real evidence of that fact.

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  16. Raphael S.
    Member

    Really?

    Posted 2 weeks ago #

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