Traditional Cooking Fats: What to Use and When

How did something as simple as choosing a fat for cooking become so complicated? One minute, butter was bad, and everyone was supposed to use margarine. Then we were told to avoid saturated fats and cook with vegetable oils. Now, we're hearing more about traditional fats like lard, tallow, and butter again.

If you've ever stood in your kitchen wondering which fat to use, you're not alone!

The good news is that traditional cooking fats don't have to be complicated. Once you understand where they come from, how they behave when heated, and what they do in a recipe, choosing the right fat becomes much easier.

And you don't need to throw out all your favorite recipes to get started. You can make simple substitutions using many of the fats our grandparents and great-grandparents cooked with every day.

In this post, I'll share the traditional fats we use on our homestead, when to cook with each one, how to substitute them in your favorite recipes, and ways to produce or source your own.

This post was originally published in May 2024, but has since been updated to include more information on individual fats and how they can be used and swapped in the kitchen. You can watch both podcast episodes below.

Why Are Fats Important?

For years, many of us were told to avoid eating fat, especially saturated fat. But our bodies actually need dietary fat to function properly.

Fat provides energy, supplies essential fatty acids, supports normal cell function, and helps our bodies absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

And beyond all the nutritional science, fat makes food taste good! It adds flavor, richness, tenderness, and that satisfying quality we love in a homemade meal.

Of course, that doesn't mean we need to start deep-frying everything we eat. It means we should understand the different types of fats available to us and make thoughtful choices about the foods we're putting on our tables.

One thing I appreciate about traditional fats is how simple they can be to produce.

We can take cream from our dairy cow and churn it into a simple homemade butter. We can save the fat from a butchered pig or cow and render it into lard or tallow. We can press olives to produce olive oil or even grow and press your own seed oils.

These are skills we can learn and practice right in our own kitchens or source from people who do.

For our family, that connection to where our food comes from is an important part of building a resilient homestead.

What Are Traditional Cooking Fats?

When I talk about traditional fats, I'm referring to fats that people have used in their kitchens for generations.

Different cultures developed different cooking traditions based on the plants and animals available in their regions.

In dairy-producing areas, butter and ghee became staples. Where pigs were raised, lard was commonly used. Other cultures relied on olive oil, coconut oil, or rendered poultry fat.

There's no single traditional fat that everyone needs to use. And just because something is traditional doesn't automatically mean it's the healthiest choice for every person or every meal. Different fats have different nutritional profiles, and the amount and variety we consume matter.

But learning how these fats were traditionally produced and used gives us more choices in our kitchens.

Butter

Butter is probably the traditional fat most of us are already comfortable using.

It's made by churning cream until the butterfat separates from the buttermilk. We love making homemade butter using cream from our dairy cow.

Butter is wonderful for cooking eggs, making sauces, baking, and finishing a dish. Nothing beats a little butter melting over a warm loaf of homemade French bread!

Because butter contains water and milk solids, those solids can brown or burn during high-temperature cooking.

Best uses for butter:

• Cooking eggs over moderate heat
• Baking cookies, cakes, and breads
• Making sauces
• Finishing cooked vegetables
• Spreading on warm bread

Ghee and Clarified Butter

Ghee and clarified butter are made by heating butter and removing the water and milk solids. Ghee is typically cooked a little longer, developing a slightly nutty flavor.

Removing the milk solids makes these fats more suitable for higher-temperature cooking than regular butter.

We discovered just how useful this can be while camping. We'd brought butter for our popcorn but forgotten the fat we normally used for popping it. Rather than risk burning the milk solids in the butter, we gently clarified some butter right there at the campsite.

We used it to pop the popcorn and drizzle over the top. Josh thought it was some of the best popcorn we'd ever made!

Best uses for ghee:

• Sautéing at higher temperatures
• Frying
• Cooking popcorn
• Roasting vegetables
• Recipes where you want a buttery flavor without the milk solids

Tallow

Tallow is rendered fat from cattle and other ruminant animals, including sheep and goats.

On our homestead, this is one of the fats we can produce when butchering an animal. Instead of throwing away those fat trimmings, we can turn them into something useful.

Tallow is especially good for roasting vegetables, searing meat, and cooking savory foods.

One thing to keep in mind is that tallow can become firm as food cools, sometimes leaving a waxy feeling in your mouth. For that reason, I especially like using it in foods that will be served hot or where the fat becomes incorporated into the finished dish.

Best uses for tallow:

• Searing roasts and other meats
• Roasting potatoes and root vegetables
• Frying
• Making tortillas
• Savory dishes served hot

You can also use tallow around the homestead for projects such as soapmaking or tallow balm.

Lard

Lard is one of my favorite traditional cooking fats because it's incredibly versatile.

It's made by rendering pork fat, and depending on which part of the animal the fat comes from, it can have different characteristics.

• Leaf lard comes from the fat surrounding the kidneys. It has a particularly mild flavor and is prized for baking.
• Back fat comes from the fat beneath the skin and is wonderful for general cooking, frying, and roasting.

If you're somebody who raises pigs, saves fat from butchering, or purchases pork directly from a farmer, lard is a valuable ingredient to have on hand. We specifically raised Kune Kune pigs for their prized fat!

I especially love using a combination of butter and leaf lard in homemade pie crusts. The butter contributes flavor, while the lard helps create a beautifully tender, flaky crust.

Best uses for lard:

• Frying and sautéing
• Roasting vegetables
• Pie crusts and pastries
• Biscuits
• Cookies and other baked goods

You can learn exactly how to prepare it in our step-by-step guide to rendering lard or tallow.

Poultry Fat (Schmaltz)

If you've ever roasted a chicken or made homemade chicken broth, you've probably seen the beautiful layer of fat that collects at the top. Don't automatically throw that away!

Rendered chicken fat is commonly called schmaltz. Duck and goose fat are also wonderful traditional cooking fats, although they're generally referred to by their individual names.

These fats add a delicious savory flavor to foods, particularly roasted potatoes and root vegetables.

When we make chicken broth, I like to refrigerate it until the fat rises and firms up. Then I can separate that fat to use in cooking, provided it's properly handled, and any remaining broth or moisture is removed before storage.

Best uses for poultry fats:

• Roasted potatoes
• Root vegetables
• Savory sautéed dishes
• Cooking onions
• Adding richness to certain soups and sauces

Coconut Oil

Not all traditional cooking fats come from animals!

Coconut oil has been used in tropical cultures for generations. It's relatively high in saturated fat and works well in many cooking and baking applications.

There are two common options.

• Virgin coconut oil retains more of its natural coconut aroma and flavor.
• Refined coconut oil is usually much more neutral, making it useful when you don't want your finished food to taste like coconut.

Best uses for coconut oil:

• Baking
• Moderate-heat cooking
• Recipes where a solid plant-based fat works well
• Dishes that complement a coconut flavor

Olive Oil

Olive oil is another traditional fat that's been used for thousands of years. It's produced by extracting oil from olives, and good-quality extra virgin olive oil has a delicious flavor that makes it one of my favorites for finishing dishes.

I especially like using it in homemade salad dressings, dips, and sauces.

Quality and freshness matter when purchasing olive oil. I prefer knowing where mine comes from, and we've purchased olive oil through Azure Standard and directly from growers.

Although I personally use extra virgin olive oil most often for cold applications and finishing dishes, it can also be used for everyday cooking.

Best uses for olive oil:

• Homemade salad dressings
• Dipping bread
• Finishing cooked vegetables
• Sauces and marinades
• Everyday sautéing

Store olive oil tightly closed in a cool, dark place, away from sunlight and heat.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is one of those fats that doesn't have quite the same long culinary history as some of the others we've discussed, but it's something I keep in my kitchen.

Oil is extracted from the avocado fruit rather than the seed. What I particularly appreciate about refined avocado oil is its neutral flavor.

For our family, homemade mayonnaise is probably the biggest reason I keep it around. Strong extra virgin olive oil can sometimes overpower mayonnaise. But when I use a mild avocado oil, my family loves the flavor, and they're much more likely to choose our homemade mayonnaise over a store-bought version.

Best uses for avocado oil:

• Homemade mayonnaise
• Creamy salad dressings
• Marinades
• Cooking, depending on the type of oil
• Recipes requiring a neutral flavor

Which Traditional Fat Should You Use for Cooking?

Here's a simple reference chart to help you decide which traditional fat to reach for.

Traditional Fat	Best Uses	Flavor
Butter	Eggs, baking, sauces, finishing	Rich, buttery
Ghee	Sautéing, frying, roasting	Buttery, slightly nutty
Tallow	Searing, roasting, frying	Mildly beefy
Lard	Frying, baking, roasting	Mild to savory
Chicken fat	Roasted potatoes, savory cooking	Rich, chicken-like
Duck or goose fat	Roasting potatoes, savory dishes	Rich, savory
Coconut oil	Baking, moderate-heat cooking	Coconut or neutral
Olive oil	Dressings, finishing, sautéing	Fruity or peppery
Avocado oil	Mayonnaise, dressings, cooking	Mild or neutral

The important thing isn't memorizing a complicated list of rules. It's understanding what you're cooking and what you need the fat to do.

Understanding Saturated and Unsaturated Fats

One reason cooking fats can feel confusing is that they contain different types of fatty acids.

You've probably heard the terms saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. The basic difference comes down to their chemical structure.

• Saturated fats contain no carbon-to-carbon double bonds. They are generally more resistant to oxidation.
• Monounsaturated fats contain one double bond.
• Polyunsaturated fats contain two or more double bonds.

Oxidation is one of the processes that causes fats to deteriorate. Exposure to heat, light, and oxygen can all contribute to that process.

This is part of why choosing an appropriate fat for the way you're cooking, avoiding repeatedly overheating oils, and storing fats properly are important.

But that doesn't mean all saturated fats are healthy or all polyunsaturated fats are unhealthy.

Our bodies need certain polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Both are essential, meaning we must obtain them from our diet. And while the types of fat we eat can influence our health, the overall balance of our diet matters more than simply labeling one fat good and another bad.

For me, the practical takeaway is to understand the different fats available, pay attention to how they're produced and stored, and use them appropriately in my kitchen.

How to Replace Vegetable Oil and Shortening in Recipes

This might be my favorite part of the whole discussion! You don't need an entirely new collection of recipes to start cooking with traditional fats.

In many cases, you can use the recipes you already have and simply replace the fat.

The important thing is to understand what job the fat is doing in that recipe.

1. Replacing Oil for Sautéing

Let's say your recipe calls for two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan. In most cases, you can simply use a similar amount of another cooking fat.

Depending on what I'm making, I might reach for butter, tallow, lard, ghee, or poultry fat.

There's generally no need to make this more complicated than it is. Melt enough fat to coat the pan, then continue with the recipe.

2. Replacing Oil for Roasting Vegetables

If a recipe tells you to drizzle vegetables with oil before roasting, you can use a traditional solid fat instead. Simply melt the fat first.

For example, if I'm roasting carrots, parsnips, or potatoes, I might melt a little tallow, lard, ghee, or poultry fat.

Then I toss the vegetables with the melted fat, season them, spread them on a baking sheet, and roast as usual.

Roasted potatoes cooked with duck fat are especially delicious!

3. Replacing Vegetable Oil in Baking

This is where you want to pay a little closer attention. If a recipe calls for liquid vegetable oil, melted butter or coconut oil may work, depending on the recipe.

You can often start by experimenting with a similar volume, but remember that butter contains water while oil is nearly entirely fat.

This means substituting butter for oil can change the texture and moisture of your baked goods. The flavor may change as well.

I've experimented with using lard in all sorts of baked goods, including muffins and cookies, and sometimes the family couldn't even tell!

The best approach is to start with a familiar recipe, try one change at a time, and pay attention to the results.

4. Replacing Vegetable Shortening

Shortening is commonly used in recipes where you need a fat that holds its shape and produces a tender texture. This is especially important for things like pie crusts, biscuits, and pastries.

In many recipes, you can experiment with butter, lard, or a combination of the two. My favorite combination for pie crust is butter and leaf lard. You get wonderful buttery flavor along with the tenderness and flakiness lard provides.

Just remember that the temperature of the fat matters. If a recipe calls for cold butter or solid shortening, replacing it with warm melted fat will change the structure of the dough.

Likewise, if a recipe calls for creaming butter and sugar, liquid oil usually won't behave the same way.

5. Replacing Oil in Dressings and Condiments

For homemade salad dressings and mayonnaise, I generally reach for olive oil or avocado oil.

If I want that delicious olive oil flavor, olive oil is a great choice. If I want something milder, especially when making mayonnaise, avocado oil is usually my preference.

In many oil-based dressings, you can replace the original liquid oil with the same amount of your preferred oil. You may also want to try out my homemade vinaigrette dressing that doesn't separate!

How to Produce Your Own Fats on the Homestead

One of the biggest reasons I love traditional fats is that many of them can be produced right on the homestead.

When we're talking about food security, we often focus on growing vegetables, preserving meat, and filling the pantry with dry goods. But fat is also an important part of our food supply.

Learning how to produce and preserve the fats available to us is one more way to become less dependent on the grocery store.

Raise Pigs for Lard

Pigs are one of the most practical animals to raise when your goal is producing usable cooking fat.

Some breeds are especially known for their ability to produce fat, including:

• Kune kune pigs
• Mangalitsas
• American Guinea Hogs
• Idaho Pasture Pigs

The amount and quality of fat you get will depend on the breed, diet, age, and condition of the animal.

We raise Kune kune pigs on our homestead, and being able to render and store our own lard is one of the many benefits.

If raising pigs isn't an option, you may be able to purchase fat from a local farmer or butcher.

Raise Beef Cattle for Tallow

Beef cattle are another excellent source of usable fat. When butchering, save the appropriate fat trimmings to render into tallow.

Even if you don't raise your own beef, purchasing a whole or half animal from a local farmer can provide an opportunity to save fat that might otherwise be discarded.

Be sure to communicate with your butcher ahead of time so they know you want to keep the fat.

Tallow also has uses beyond the kitchen, including soapmaking and other traditional homestead projects.

Keep a Dairy Animal for Butter

Having our own dairy cow means we can regularly skim cream and make homemade butter. This is one of my favorite parts of keeping a dairy animal.

Of course, it takes a commitment. Milking, separating cream, churning butter, and storing everything properly are ongoing tasks. But having access to fresh cream and homemade butter is incredibly rewarding.

Save Poultry Fat

Don't overlook the fat available from chickens, ducks, and geese. When processing poultry, save usable fat trimmings for rendering.

You can also separate the fat that collects on properly prepared homemade broth, although this fat needs additional care because it may contain moisture or broth.

It's a small habit that can help you make better use of the animals you're already raising.

Grow and Press Plant-Based Oils

Animal fats aren't the only option for a self-sufficient homestead. Depending on your climate, you may be able to grow plants that produce oil.

We've experimented with growing sunflowers for oil production, and there are possibilities with peanuts, hazelnuts, olives, and other oil-producing crops.

One thing to remember is that even if you choose not to cook with a particular oil, it may still be valuable for making soaps, herbal oils, salves, and other homestead products.

Learn more about growing and pressing your own seed oil.

How to Get the Most Fat From Your Livestock

If you're raising animals for meat and fat, a few thoughtful choices can help you maximize what you bring into your kitchen.

• Consider the breed. Some breeds naturally produce more fat than others.
• Pay attention to feed. An animal's diet can influence both the amount and composition of its fat.
• Learn to butcher. Processing animals yourself gives you more control over which fat is saved.
• Communicate with your butcher. If you use a professional processor, make sure they know you want the usable fat returned.
• Learn to render fat properly. Rendering transforms raw fat trimmings into a versatile ingredient you can store and use in your cooking.

You don't have to do all these things yourself. Building relationships with farmers and butchers who value traditional food production can be an important part of creating a more resilient local food supply.

How to Store Traditional Cooking Fats

Proper storage is important for preserving quality, flavor, and food safety. Raw animal fat should be handled just like raw meat. Keep it refrigerated and process it promptly, or freeze it until you're ready to render it.

Rendered fats should be strained thoroughly, placed in clean containers, and protected from moisture and contamination.

For home-rendered animal fats, I recommend refrigeration or freezing for longer storage rather than relying on room-temperature storage for an extended period. Shelf life depends on how thoroughly the fat was rendered, whether moisture remains, and how it's handled.

Butter should also be refrigerated or frozen for longer storage.

For liquid oils, the biggest enemies of freshness are heat, light, and oxygen.

Keep olive oil and avocado oil tightly sealed in a cool, dark cabinet away from the stove.

And if a fat develops an unusual rancid odor or flavor, it's time to discard it.

Traditional Cooking Fats FAQs