Pork skin: benefits, harm and nutritional values. Pork skin benefits and harms

Pork lard has been part of the human diet for many centuries. Many of us love and enjoy eating this product with bread, onions and garlic, frying foods with it, and drinking alcohol with it. It is salted, smoked, and added to sausages.

There are many national traditions in preparation lard. So, in Ukraine it is made with garlic, in Hungary - with red pepper, and in Estonia they prefer to eat smoked lard.

Pigs do not live in Chukotka, so the Chukchi have long made lard from seals. Those who have tried it say that its taste is practically no different from pork!

But is lard as healthy as many people think? Can't he regular use in food harm our body? And where is the line between the benefits and harm of lard?

The benefits of lard

Real natural lard is a skin with a subcutaneous layer of fat. The most best lard– this is lard 2.5–3 cm thick. Pork neck and bacon contain muscle fat rather than subcutaneous fat, so in the strict sense they are not lard. It is in subcutaneous fat that there is a whole range of useful biologically active substances, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, F, and B vitamins. Thanks to these beneficial properties lard is 5 times better than butter.

Salo is very high-calorie product, it contains about 800 kcal per 100 g, so eating even a small piece of it will satisfy your hunger.

Pork lard contains arachidonic acid, which is not found in all vegetable oils, with the exception of olive and peanut oils, as well as selenium. Arachidonic acid is indispensable for our body, since it is the building material of all cells human body.

Pork lard is useful:

For people engaged in heavy physical labor (very high in calories and quickly replenishes energy);

During a long stay in the cold (warms the body);

To improve and stimulate the functioning of the heart and blood vessels (thanks to a large amount of potassium, selenium, vitamins B, A, D);

To cleanse blood vessels (especially if eaten with garlic);

For kidney function (contains potassium and vitamin B3);

Regulates cholesterol metabolism (contains unsaturated acids omega-6, omega-9, vitamins B6 and B12);

Increases immunity and vitality (thanks to omega-6, selenium and zinc in its composition);

Cleanses the body of toxins and waste (has antioxidant properties);

Regulates hormonal levels (contains vitamin E);

Prevents the risk of cancer (vitamins B and E);

Improves brain activity (contains iron, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins B1, B6, B12, E);

Relieves depression (due to the high content of vitamin B5).

If the lard is very soft and spreads out, this means that the pig was overfed with corn, and if it is too hard, the pig has been starving for a long time.

The best and delicious lard obtained when a pig is fed acorns.

Lard prevents rapid intoxication, since its fat lubricates the walls of the stomach and prevents alcohol from being immediately absorbed. Alcohol, in turn, helps the rapid absorption of fat. ( By the way, lard goes well not only with vodka, as everyone is accustomed to thinking, but also with red wines. It also has an anti-hangover effect.)

In the daily diet of a Member of the CPSU Central Committee during the Soviet Union in mandatory included 50 g of lard.

In folk medicine, lard is used to treat joints, mastitis, toothache and various skin diseases.

Lard goes well with wholemeal black bread, but it’s best not to eat it with a white bun. In addition, lard goes well with vegetables, vinegar and hot seasonings.

Lard should not be overcooked, but slightly heated lard is absorbed much better.

Healthy adults can consume lard in quantities not exceeding 10–30 g per day.

Harm of lard

However, despite a number of advantages, lard can harm the body of a person suffering from certain severe chronic diseases.

Contraindications for the use of lard in food are similar to the contraindications for the use of pork meat(see "Pork").

Disorders of the gallbladder;

Weakening the saponification function of fats;

Liver diseases (due to large amounts of fat);

Problems with the stomach and intestines (hard to digest).

Smoked lard, like all other smoked foods, is not a healthy product for our body. This especially applies to lard, which is smoked in meat processing plants using a special, highly carcinogenic liquid - in the so-called “liquid smoke”.

Of course, if you are healthy and really want to, you can sometimes eat a small piece without much harm. But in everything you should know when to stop!

Overcooked pork cracklings accumulate carcinogens, while fat loses many positive traits and turns into an extremely harmful product.

For people leading a sedentary lifestyle, to avoid rapid dialing extra pounds You should not eat more than 10 g of lard per day.

Tallow is fatty layers that are located under the skin of an animal. The product has long been widely popular among adherents national dishes. Pork fat has found application in medicine. With its help you can cure many diseases. If we talk about cosmetic purposes, lard protects the skin from frost.

Can a get-together be of high quality without a bottle of vodka and chopped lard? The question is rhetorical, the product is considered purely masculine. In addition to taste, lard is also beneficial.
To avoid getting drunk and protect your stomach from possible ulcers, eat a piece of lard before the feast. So you won't allow it ethyl alcohol absorb into the walls of the esophagus, and avoid a hangover in the morning.
No matter how funny it may sound, lard is considered Ukrainian Viagra. Pork fat increases a man's sexuality, and also improves potency and child reproduction.
Lard is often included in the daily menu of athletes because it saturates the body. better than a piece boiled meat or steak. It is useful to eat the product for men who have hard physical work.

The benefits of lard for women

Every woman, regardless of age, wants to look attractive and young. Many of them spend a lot of effort on low-calorie diets and other strict dietary restrictions.
Lard is considered an excellent product for weight loss. Despite its high calorie content, the dish is used to break down fatty compounds and fight cellulite.
Pork fat is an excellent antioxidant. It frees the body from even the oldest and most complex stagnation, toxic compounds, and radionuclides. This slows down premature aging fabrics.

The benefits of lard for pregnant women

Many people wonder what are the benefits of eating lard for pregnant girls? Ladies need the product to maintain strength and vigor throughout pregnancy.
From the second or third month of pregnancy, the female body begins to quickly accumulate fat. By systematically taking lard, the likelihood of gaining extra pounds is reduced.
The benefit is determined by the accumulation fatty acids, which are required for the full formation of the placenta and nervous system child. Lard will allow a girl to recover faster after childbirth and reduce the risk of depression.

Daily intake of lard

The daily intake of lard for adolescents is no more than 50 grams. In other cases, everything is individual.
For obese adults, it is prohibited to eat more than 20 grams. lard For an active lifestyle and for athletes, the product norm is 60 grams.
If you have a sedentary lifestyle and there are no contraindications, you can eat 40 grams. product without the consequences of obesity. In this case, lard must be consumed with black bread.
During pregnancy, the animal composition should not exceed 25 grams. and without salt.

The choice of such a product must be taken seriously. Forget about buying lard in stores, in this case the freshness may be poor. Give preference to meat markets, mostly the owners themselves sell the lard there, and it will be fresh.
The seller will be able to vouch for the freshness of the product and tell you what the livestock is fed (important information). When choosing lard, pay attention to the layers. Each piece is stamped with a sanitary service seal.
The responsible seller must have a certificate from the veterinarian. The freshness of the product is determined by its pinkish tint, or the lard can be simply white. If the color of the layer is pronounced, it means that blood has entered the fatty layers. This is fraught with the presence of pathogenic organisms.
If the lard is yellowish in color, avoid stale raw materials. The gender of the animal also plays a significant role. If it is a wild boar, its fat will have an unpleasant aftertaste. The skin should be free of lint and bristles. The color depends on the processing method - brown or yellow.
If you want to get the benefits of lard, the layer should not be thin. The softness of the composition is checked by testing or piercing the fat with a match. It should fit into the pulp without difficulty. If you are going to smoke or salt lard, layers from the back or sides of the animal will do.

Harm of lard

Pork lard is useful for humans if the prescribed norm is observed. Overeating is harmful to health and usually leads to obesity. Frying of raw materials is prohibited; as a result of such manipulation, carcinogens are released that are harmful to humans.
There is melted lard, it harms the body due to high content contained in cholesterol. When using such raw materials when cooking, be careful. If you have been diagnosed with gastrointestinal problems or cardiovascular system, refrain from consuming the dish.
Remember, lard is good for humans if all the rules for raising livestock are followed. Animals must also be kept in environmentally friendly areas. There is an opinion that smoked lard harmful to the body.
There is still some truth in this; such a product is harmful to humans when artificially smoked using liquid smoke. Keep in mind that natural cold smoking is not more beneficial. Ready-made lard has a detrimental effect on the gastrointestinal tract; the product is contraindicated for ulcers and kidney disease.
Remember, lard - high-calorie product. In 100 gr. contains the daily amount of fat that a person needs. If you eat fatty foods along with lard, you will soon become obese. Don't put too much hope on the lineup. Lard is not a storehouse of vitamins and microelements.
It is prohibited to consume lard if you have serious chronic diseases. In this case, visit your doctor. The specialist will give precise instructions and prescribe daily norm individually. Remember that for healthy person overeating raw materials is fraught with serious consequences.

Consumption of lard should be in moderation. The composition will bring benefits to the body if the above recommendations are followed. Choose layers carefully and don’t be lazy to walk around the market. Chat with sellers or buy lard through friends.

Video: the benefits and harms of lard

Certainly, pork skin you can eat it just like that, sprinkle it with salt, roll it up... Fans of this delicacy will certainly understand what we are talking about. But in some countries, such snacks are prepared from this ingredient that you simply can’t believe it! For example, in Canada it is fried until crispy and served with... fish, and in Quebec pork skin is generally considered part of the traditional food. In America, this fried snack is commercial and is sold in plastic bags. In Mexico, residents and visitors of the country can taste the taste of fresh skins right on the streets, where they are sold along with spices - chili, salsa, salt and lime. In Spain, the skin is an ingredient for soups and salads. It is also actively used for cooking Thai cuisine. Our grandmothers also knew - only with the help pork skin you can get a dense, frozen jellied meat (and no gelatin!).

Benefits of pork skin

It would seem, what useful things can be found in the skin? It turns out that it contains a whole list of vitamins and microelements, without which the vital functions of our body would simply be impossible:
B vitamins, vitamins PP, H, E, tin, nickel, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine, phosphorus, molybdenum, manganese, chromium, chlorine...

Harm and contraindications

Pork skin is a “heavy” product, so people suffering from digestive tract problems should not eat it raw or fried - only as an ingredient for broths or traditional jellied meat.

Pork skin is a delicious delicacy. Chefs around the world often choose this product for cooking various recipes. Pork skin can be stewed, fried, salted, and it tastes no worse than meat. It is used to make jellied meats, cutlets, and is even used as a base for chips.

General information

The benefits of pork skins are undeniable. This product contains all vitamins, which are required for the human body, while it has no carcinogens, and also can never be radioactive.

Eating lard in reasonable quantities is a good prevention against viral diseases, especially in winter.

Pork rinds have been used since ancient times, when animal fats were the only source of oil needed for cooking. But with time vegetable fats have become much more accessible in contrast to natural animal fats.

Benefit

Pork skin contains high content fat and sodium. Therefore, the use of this product is recommended for patients with Atkinson's syndrome. It also brings many more benefits:

The product contains selenium, which is required for the normal functioning of people, while it is well absorbed by the body and is in optimal form. Almost 75% of people have an acute deficiency of this substance, especially people who smoke, pregnant women, and professional athletes. Since garlic is often added during the preparation of skins, selenium is obtained in double volume, since the latter also contains this substance. No matter how much the consumption of pork skins frightens obese patients, this product should not be excluded from the daily menu. It is useful for anemia and is used to prevent epilepsy and senile insanity.
Lard is often used in recipes traditional medicine . When used externally, this product is often much more effective, unlike most ointments that are produced by the pharmaceutical industry. For example, a small piece of lard helps relieve toothache; you just need to apply it to the sore tooth. 30 minutes.
Can help during joint dysfunction pork fat mixed with salt. A warm compress from this mixture will reduce pain and speed up treatment.
Pork skins are used for removing warts. To do this, you need to melt 2 parts of lard and add some finely chopped garlic. The composition should be applied to the affected area, tightly secured with a bandage.
Use in cosmetology. This is a natural cosmetic composition that effectively delivers into the skin useful microelements, promoting rejuvenation. Since ancient times, in order to relieve the skin from chapping, pieces of lard were smeared on exposed areas of the body.
Many women use pork skins as sun cream.

Harm

But, like every product, lard can cause harm to health:

Sodium. A product enriched with this substance can negatively affect the functioning of the cardiovascular system, increasing blood pressure. Many manufacturers also degrade the quality of lard using various flavor enhancers, which generally affects human health. As a rule, people consume 2.5 mg of sodium daily, while patients with heart pathologies are allowed to take no more than 1.5 mg of this substance. At 35 g pork skin contains about 500 mg of sodium, which is 23-35% higher than the permissible norm.
Cholesterol. Lard contains unhealthy cholesterol and saturated fats. During their mixing, lipoprotein increases. When cholesterol increases, blood vessels become blocked and can cause a stroke. 35g of pork rind contains more than 3.6g of saturated fat and 28mg of cholesterol.
At frequent use lard is possible get better quickly. A person’s daily menu does not consist only of pork skins, so the risk of consuming more fat than recommended increases, which as a result can increase the volume of subcutaneous fat and cause obesity of internal organs.
Product may be infected with worms, if safety rules were not followed during harvesting.
Lard is prohibited for use by patients with pancreatitis and cholecystitis, as this may aggravate the disease.

Many gourmets like to eat the skin raw, only sprinkled with salt. But still, in many countries there are a large number of different recipes.

Lard is also successfully used as a main product. You can make everything tasty: appetizers, salads, and first courses:

The Thais first soak the lard and sprinkle it with salt, then the skins are stewed over low heat and placed in the oven until fully cooked. This is how a very tasty delicacy called khaep mu is prepared. When serving, it is cut into small pieces. This dish is prepared both in elite restaurants and in fast food joints on the street. Thais also use it to add original taste salads. For example, it is quite popular all over the world unusual salad, which is called som there.
In Mexico, pig skin is prepared by adding various spices (lime, chili).
The Spaniards add the product to both salads and soups.
In Canada, lard is consumed at the same time as fish, after being fried until crisp; in Quebec, the skin is an everyday food.
The Thais salt the skin well and eat it with tomatoes and chili peppers.
Cracklings is a dish that came from America. In this country, snacks can be bought in plastic bags. And it is done as follows: dry skins are fried until fully cooked in various spices with the addition of pork meat.

Or cartilage. Many people throw away the skin, considering it an inedible product.

Let's look at what can be made from pork skin, the rules for preparing it, basic recipes and culinary secrets.

Before you start preparing certain dishes, it is important to properly prepare the skin so that it is ready for use. The first step is to inspect the outside for the presence of stubble. If any bristles remain during processing, you need to scorch them over a fire. After this, you need to thoroughly wash the skin under warm running water. If there are obvious dirty marks, then you can scrub with a metal brush. Veterinary seals and quality marks do not harm health in any way, since the ink is made from non-toxic substances.

If the recipe calls for the skin to remain raw, but it is very tough, you can pour boiling water over it. In order to get rid of unpleasant odor, the skin is soaked for a couple of hours in cold water with a few tablespoons of salt.

There is an endless amount variety of recipes preparation of pork skins, as they are used almost all over the world. Some recipes are considered originally Russian, and some came to us from other countries. The interesting thing is that the skin combines with many spices and can be made spicy, sweet or salty.

Depending on the marinades or spices, you can get a variety of flavors from one recipe if you experiment with seasonings. Let's look at the most common dishes that can be prepared from a seemingly completely inedible product.

Pressed snack

In different parts of the world, this dish is called differently - “press appetizer”, “taiga”, “Trans-Baikal”, “village”. To prepare it, you need to prepare the following products:

1 kg pork skin (maybe a little with fat)
0.5 cup soy sauce
pepper and salt to taste

This dish takes a little over an hour to prepare. The peeled skin is filled with water and brought to a boil. After 15 minutes, the water needs to be replaced and spices and soy sauce added. It is desirable that the skins are approximately the same size, for example, square or rectangular. While they are still hot, they need to be layered on top of each other, sprinkled with spices.

A food whip or bag and a weight weighing at least 2-3 kg (a jar of water, for example) are placed on top of the container on layers of skin. After cooling, the loaded snack is placed in the refrigerator for several hours. Serve in slices.

Korean snack

The most famous korean snack- These are marinated pork ears. The skin can be prepared in such a way that it will turn out even tastier, the main thing is to observe the proportions of spices and the sequence of actions. This dish is much cheaper than ears, since the skin is more affordable than pork cartilage, which, due to its popularity, has become an expensive delicacy.

To prepare Korean skins you will need the following ingredients:

0.5 g pork skin
1 tsp vinegar (can be replaced with apple cider vinegar) rice vinegar or lemon juice)
3 -4 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp sugar (can be replaced with a spoon of natural honey)
0.5 tsp ground black pepper, red or white (can be replaced with mustard)
1 tsp paprika (sweet ground pepper or flakes)
salt - to taste (remember that soy sauce is salty)

The point of spices and seasonings is to combine four basic tastes - sweet (honey, sugar), salty (salt, soy sauce), sour (vinegar, lemon) and hot (pepper, mustard).

To give an original taste (optional), you can add the following products:

green onions
sesame
ginger

Preparation:

Peel the skins, remove fat if possible, so that the resulting product is less fatty and high in calories.
Pour into a metal container cold water and put it on the stove. Bring to a boil and remove, that is, there is no need to cook them, just boil for 2 minutes. If the skin is from a suckling pig, there is no need to boil it; if the skin is from a young pig, it is enough to blanch it. Tough skins can be cooked a little to soften them.
When the skins have cooled, you need to cut them into thin strips and put them in a container in which they will be marinated.
You need to add all the seasonings and mix well. Before use, it is recommended to let it sit for at least 2 hours so that the skins are saturated with sauces and spices.

You can store this dish long time in a refrigerator. It is perfect as an appetizer or salad and goes well with many side dishes and drinks.

To prepare the salad, the skin must be washed, cleaned of fat and boiled until soft. Cooking time is determined according to the readiness of the product. During boiling, you need to constantly skim off the foam. When the skin is boiled, it needs to be cooled and cut into thin strips. Separately, you need to prepare the frying for the salad. For this, onions are used, cut into half rings and strips.

It is recommended to fry on olive oil, since it has less calories and the skin is quite oily. Vegetables are added to the skins, the salad is seasoned with fried sesame seeds, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. For those who like it spicier, you can use a mixture of peppers.

Rolls

Pork skin rolls refer to a dish whose main feature is stuffing the skin with ingredients and additional products. In this regard, there are many recipes for pork rolls, let’s look at the most common ones:

Pork skin roll with vegetables. To prepare it, you need to prepare the following components: 0.5 kg of skins; a little vegetable oil; 2 carrots (or 1 large); 1 onion (or 2 small ones); salt pepper - a pinch; 1 Bell pepper; a few cloves. , and you need to peel and cut into rings or strips and fry on vegetable oil(sunflower or olive). The skin needs to be unfolded on a table or board with the greasy side up. The filling is not laid out and wrapped into a roll. To keep it in place, you need to tie the roll in several places with nylon thread. Cook over low heat for about 2 hours, depending on the hardness of the skin. Add salt, peppercorns, and garlic to the water for flavor. Serve in portioned pieces warm or cold. This is the easiest option pork roll, you can wrap not only and, but also any vegetables to taste in it - broccoli, green peas, cut into strips, etc.
Skin roll with meat To prepare this dish, prepare the skin, minced meat, onions, carrots and spices to taste. Vegetables and meat are fried in a frying pan for a couple of minutes, and then everything is prepared in the same way as in the previous version. The roll must be served chilled, otherwise it may fall apart.
The roll can be prepared according to the same principle, only the filling will be spinach, dill, parsley, arugula - to taste. You can add vegetables and minced meat to the green roll. There is no need to cook it for too long and it is recommended to use the skin of a young pig, which will not be tough. At proper preparation This snack will literally melt in your mouth.

You can also make a pork rind roll in foil.

The point is that it should not be boiled, but baked in the oven or on the grill.

Cracklings, chips and fries

For cracklings and chips, the skin must be clean, without layers of fat, otherwise the dish will turn out tasty, but unhealthy. This dish is very popular in America and is served in almost every pub or cafe, and is also sold in supermarkets.

Chicharron - fried pork skin

To make chips you need skins, seasoning and a lot of oil or fat:

First, the skins are cut into even pieces and placed on a baking sheet. They need to be dried in the oven for several hours.
Then you need to boil oil in a deep container and fry the chips there (the same can be done in deep fat). Place the chips on a towel or napkin to remove excess fat.
Salt, pepper, paprika and other seasonings are added to taste.

Jellied meat on skins

Jellied meat is a fairly common dish, and there are many variations of it. Some prepare them pure, others from chicken and gelatin, others from lard and cartilage. There is also a recipe in which the main ingredient is pork skin.