I'm a half and halfer. I usually use half butter/half lard in pastry doughs and crusts. I made a pie crust with all lard and used vodka instead of water and the dang thing was so flaky it actually lifted off the bottom of the pie plate (with filling in it!) while baking. What seems like such a small difference in water content, can really make a difference in texture (flakiness.). I honestly don't notice that much of a difference in flavor though.

I kind of feel like there needs to be another option on the poll for all of the people who don't eat any meat or meat by products, because that is the camp that I'm in, and I know a lot of your other readers are as well...

I once used lard to make a pie crust and the flavor was ... not what I was looking for. I think that it would have been delicious with a more savory filling or one that went better with the "piggy" flavor. That being said, ever since I listened to the Planet Money on the history of lard in the country, I've been interested in using it more often in my cooking. I would also be curious to see what sweet recipes people use it in.

Mark Sisson over at Mark's Daily Apple had a great write up on this a while ago talking about the use of Pufas (polyunsaturated fatty acids) in cooking/baking.

If you were one who voted with the forth or fifth options it is defiantly worth the read.

Love it. Unfortunalty too many commecrial bakeries use hydrogenated lard and other hydrogenated fats so people aren't really used to the taste of real lard in their baked goods.

Urbanmermaid, umm...how about choosing the "Um, never" option and leave it at that?

@urbanmermaid and @fondue The "Um, never" option doesn't work if you don't disapprove of fats. Personally I fall into acategory I would title "Never, because I don't eat animal products, but if I ever did, lard would be at the top of my grocery list." I'm not afraid of any fats! Sure I try to use less of the ones I should use less of, but I think being squeemish about fat in general is unnecessary (not to mention unproductive and un-tasty).

I agree with @urbanmermaid because I try to stay away from animal products, but I eat good healthy fats found in nuts and avocados, etc. I will have a little bit of a high quality pastry here and there for special occasions, but in my mine lard is BAD, BAD, BAD! This is the first I've heard of it losing that persona.

I don't eat meat, so I don't use lard. But as a natural product, I totally can see why people use it. Yes, it's fatty, but if you're going to eat dessert, you might as well go all the way. I will say though--if you do use lard, for the sake of the vegetarians out there, please disclose your animal-based ingredient!

I remember helping my mother render lard which she used in all her cooking. Then the 80's and low-fat insanity happened and she stopped it altogether. Now I can't convince her that pork fat is good again.

Always in a savory pie like a chicken pie. Half & half (with butter) in a fruit pie.

If I can get really high quality lard I use it 50-50. The texture is very good but the flavor of butter is vastly superior. I never, ever use shortening.

how about "I used to use lard but now I use duck fat"... yum!

I use butter.

I used to use lard, stopped, and then started again..

I love using lard in pie crusts! It's delicious in apple pies, especially... I do try to warn people that there's an animal product in my baked goods if I don't know that everybody at an event eats meat/pork. While we're on the subject of cooking with lard, lard-made potato chips, anyone? Delicious! Especially the barbecue... I won't name brands here because I'm not sure if that's okay, but the ones I'm thinking of come from a town in Central PA that is home to several snack food companies.... Anyway, lard french fries from crazy farmers' markets/flea markets in the suburbs of Philadelphia? Yes, please!

@Roberto Leibman - that sounds like another great idea!

Best biscuits...crisp and tender. Try a locker plant or meat market where they render their own lard...it's not hydrogenated. It's easy to find here in the Midwest.

"Both butter and lard contain a mix of saturated and unsaturated fat but lard is mostly unsaturated fat, the kind that is better for you, while butter is mostly saturated fat."

Are you serious? What decade are you stuck in? Read the latest info, saturated fat isn't "bad for you".

For pie crust, we make either an all-butter or a butter-lard mix. Lard lightens it up and makes it flakier; butter crusts are denser.

For some foods, I use either duck fat or lard -- roasting potatoes in the oven for example (I melt a little on the rimmed baking sheet, and toss the potatoes on it).

The only type of fat we never, and will never, use in our house is vegetable shortening (and margarine).

I don't use lard because of my religion but I don't avoid animal fats. So, there aren't any options for me either :( Then again, I could probably choose '...lard is terrible for you'?

Like urbanmermaid, I never bake with lard --- not because I think it's unhealthy, not because I have some kneejerk "ick!" reaction to the idea, but because I eat very little meat and I'm often cooking for people proper vegetarians or observe similar dietary restrictions. Slipping a meat product into dessert, where most people wouldn't even think to worry about it, is not for me.

I don't use lard but not because I have anything against it. In fact, I'd be open to using it and seeing how it compares it all butter pastries or half butter half coconut oil pastries. I think it would also be a good thing to fry with since it has a high smoke point. A lot better than frying with rancid vegetable oils or Crisco. If I did buy some i would definitely buy the lard produced by local farmers who pasture-raise their pigs. I also would disagree with saying one product is better than another product because of nutrient content (sat fat). I think people these days tend to focus way to much on the specifics of food (calories, grams of fat...) instead of focusing on eating high quality whole foods diet. Having said that, I think you included that information to debunk preconceived notions that Lard is insanely high in saturated fat and is extremely artery clogging.

Dana and Fondue, I suggest the two of you dial down the attitude and drop the "um." It just makes you look condescending.

Dana, as others have pointed out, vegetarians don't use lard, not because it's "icky," and not because we're "conditioned." You might want to consider that the next time you put up another biased excuse for a poll.

Yes.

I have a fair number of Jewish friends who keep kosher in one way or another, and even the least strict of them avoid pork products. So while I'm "lard-curious," using it might make it more difficult for me to serve my baked goods to those closest to me.

I'm not opposed to it at all and I want to start using it, but I can't even find it anywhere it my neighborhood!

I'm like @Irisvk - I am totally behind lard, but I can't find any decent sources besides those white bricks in grocery stores and ethnic stores. :(

Growing up we always had lard in the house because my dad loves making pies. His own parents were split - on in the lard camp, and one in the butter camp, so he always used half-and-half in pie crusts. But now I leave and eat with my fiance who keeps kosher, so lard is not an option. I rarely make pies, but when I do I use all butter or buy frozen vegetarian crusts.

And to all of you out there using lard - please, please, please make sure you tell people you used lard when you offer them baked goods. Vegetarians and people who keep kosher will thank you.

I agree with the other posters that there needs to be another option--No, due to being veg or religious reasons.

For me it's no because I'm vegetarian. But I do eat lots of other fats...just not ones where the animal was killed for it.

This post is an object lesson in survey design. In general, try to cover all possible options with your combined survey questions. Unless you have a specific purpose for not doing so, and if so, try to indicate that somewhere, such as "choose the option that best represents your opinion".

One more vegetarian here so I think it's gross for obvious reasons. I tend to just use whatever fat tastes better/works better for that application and just eat those fats in moderation. So if you like to use lard knock yourself out...just please disclose this if you bring them for potlucks! I never eat anything with a pie crust unless I can read the ingredients but I wouldn't think to question a lovely chocolate chip cookie!