Cooking Up Sweet and Savory Things for #NationalLardDay, Coast Packing’s 5th Annual #LardLovers Recipe Contest Returns

Proving that there’s nothing like authentic ingredients to liven up a dish (or an entire meal), Coast Packing Company, the West’s largest supplier of farm-fat-based shortenings, today announced the fifth annual #LardLovers Recipe Contest – a tribute to the staying power of comfort food.

Coast is again issuing a call for any unique, unpublished recipe that uses lard, in sweet or savory categories (think pie crust, special bread or cookie recipe, fried chicken concoction, holiday tamale surprise, etc.).

Contest entries will be accepted online starting today, November 1.  All entries must be received by midnight on Sunday, Nov. 21.  To enter, contestants can use the online form posted at https://www.coastpacking.com/lardlovers. Alternatively, entries can be submitted via Facebook.   The contest is open to those 21 and over, and no purchase is necessary to enter.  This year, Coast is asking contestants to share their thoughts on what they love about cooking with lard.

All submissions will be posted on the Coast Packing website, preferably accompanied by images of the resulting dishes. For the third year, Coast’s judging panel will enlist Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, Inc.  of Vernon, the largest distributor of specialty produce in the United States, to prepare and assess the top recipes in the Sweet category.  Judging recipes in the Savory category will be Chef Jacob Matthew, who works at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Manhattan. Winners will be chosen based on flavor, creativity/originality and visual appeal. Judging will begin on November 22 and conclude on December 5.

This year’s lineup of prizes:

Sweet Category

1st Prize: KitchenAid® Artisan Stand Mixer, 5-Qt. $430

2nd Prize: Fall Pie Baking Dream Set $110

Stoneware Pie Dish, Set of 3 $70

Fall Rolling Impression Pie Crust Cutter $20

Williams Sonoma Fall Pie Punches & Impression Cookie Cutters, Set of 6 $20

Savory Category

1st Prize: Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Oval Dutch Oven $300

2nd Prize: Ruffoni 6-Piece Olivewood Tool Set $140

Winners will be announced on December 8, National Lard Day. An initiative of the Healthy Fats Coalition, #NationalLardDay is a celebration of a traditional, flavorful animal fat – pure lard, derived from pork – that is enjoying a resurgence within America’s food culture, in restaurants (especially those featuring ethnic specialties), fast food operations and home kitchens.  Artificial trans fats are out, and minimally processed animal fats like lard — for superior baking, frying and a host of other cooking applications – are assuming their rightful place in the kitchen.

“Timed with National Lard Day, we at Coast are delighted to sponsor the Fifth Annual #LardLovers Contest,” said Eric R. Gustafson, Coast Packing CEO. “The color, texture and flavor that lard imparts make it a vastly superior alternative to heavily processed, industrially-produced cooking oils.  Lard is the once and future king of the kitchen, the one ingredient that never fails to speak ‘flavor,’ even as it brings out the best in everything it touches.

“There’s a reason certain ingredients are traditional — they provide better taste than the non-traditional alternatives,” Gustafson said.  “On National Lard Day, taste the difference yourself!  It’s even better if you can do so from the comfort of your own kitchen, so break out that secret family recipe and join the #LardLovers Contest.  To all who participate – and with a special shout-out to Melissa’s, our neighbor in Vernon — thanks for joining us in praising the lard.”

About Coast Packing Company

Now marking its 100th year in business, Coast Packing Company (www.coastpacking.com), a closely held corporation, is the number one supplier of animal fat shortenings – particularly lard and beef tallow — in the Western United States. The company sells to major manufacturers, distributors, retailers, smaller food service operations and leading bakeries. The company participates actively in diverse ethnic markets – from Hispanic retail chains, with its VIVA brand, to various Asian specialty markets. Based in Vernon, Calif., Coast Packing Company is regional, national and, increasingly, global. In some cases, supplier relationships are multigenerational, extending back 50 years and more. Coast is a founding member of the Healthy Fats Coalition (https://www.healthyfatscoalition.org/).

For more information about Coast Packing Company, visit: www.coastpacking.com. Follow us via social media on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coastpackingco, Twitter @coastpackingco and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/coastpackingco.