Bean lard is an intriguing alternative to traditional pork lard. This plant-based substitute is gaining popularity among those seeking meatless spreads. Bean lard is incredibly simple to prepare and can be used not only for sandwiches but also for various dishes.
Ingredients
- White beans – 500g
- Onions – 2 pieces
- Apple – 1 piece
- Soy sauce – 50ml
- Oil – 30ml
- Butter – 20g
- Baking soda – 5g
- Bay leaves – 5 pieces
- Salt – 3g
- Marjoram – 2g
- White pepper – 1.5g
- Sugar – 1.5g
Preparation
Place the white beans in a pot and cover them with cold water. Let them soak overnight.
Cook the beans in the same water they soaked in, along with baking soda and bay leaves. This will take about an hour for smaller beans and about 1.5 hours for larger ones (such as Piękny Jaś beans). Towards the end of cooking, remove the bay leaves from the pot. Finish cooking when most of the water has evaporated. There shouldn’t be too much water left as the lard will turn out too runny. If you’re unsure if there’s too much liquid in the pot, drain the beans, but keep the liquid for later use. It will be useful for thinning the mixture during blending.
Season the cooked white beans with soy sauce, then blend them into a smooth paste and set aside to cool slightly. If the mixture is dry and hard to blend, add some of the cooking water.
Peel and finely chop the onion and apple. Sauté them in a pan over low heat with heated oil. After a few minutes, add butter and sugar to the pan and mix. The onion and apple should gently caramelize. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the onion and apple to the beans. Also, add the remaining spices – pepper, marjoram, and salt, then mix everything thoroughly using a spatula.
Transfer the finished lard to a jar and allow it to cool completely, then seal and store it in the refrigerator. The lard is good for consumption for about 5-6 days.
