Oinky Sweets -- An Eco-Friendly Way To Cook Up Perfectly Piggy Perfection

If we're going to talk the talk about being green and embracing recycling, repurposing, etc., then shouldn't all of us work a little harder to walk the walk? Consider the consumption of animals for a moment. If you're going to indulge, don't you believe that it's a lot more ethical to eat as much of the entire animal as possible  so that there is no waste left behind? There are countless modern cultures that embrace this principle -- in fact the whole notion of "sausage" was born out of making the most of the scraps remaining once the choice parts of an animal are removed ... and let's be honest, very few people turn their noses up at a bratwurst straight off the grill. Given America's giddy love affair with pig flesh , why is it that there are still so many people out there who gag at the prospect of eating the rendered fat known in foodie circles as blissfully supple lard?

It is by some accounts not just intensely flavorful and ideal for cooking but also surprisingly healthy compared to what modern science cooks up in a lab and calls "shortening". Furthermore, using this type of fat is just one small way to demonstrate your commitment to green living (...um, as long as you're not a vegetarian). Seriously, it is. Waste not, want not.

If this suggestion is beginning to make your insides churn, then I give you exhibit A -- the San Francisco Bay Area's Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Shop's Boccalone Lard Caramels. The tubby-sized sweets, which come four to a package for $3.50, are outrageously costly for recycled oink but according to EatMeDaily, offer a "melty, meaty sweetness that blows the mind." The seemingly unholy marriage of solidified pig fat, sugar, cream and flavorings came out of their chef's realization that butter isn't the only magical ingredient to make everything taste better -- recipe collaborator Chris Cosentino advises that these treasures should be nibbled on when you have complete privacy "so that not everyone sees your 'Oh' face."

Tempted to take your green recycling tendencies to the next level by sampling these supple oinky freaks of nature? Then visit the Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream shop in person at 2790 Harrison Street in San Francisco, hoof it to their Boccalone booth at the Ferry Building, or contact them to receive a shipment straight to your door. If you'd prefer to keep your carbon footprint in check by passing on the long distance delivery option but are dying to get your recycled piggy fix, then you might just want to try this recipe on for size (courtesy of The Greene Grape). Who knows, it might be good enough (and quirky, too) to offer to everyone on your holiday gift list, too!

Bacon Fat Caramels

Makes about 2 1/2 pounds

1 cup bacon fat - drained of any particulate matter
1 pound brown sugar
Dash salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt bacon fat in a heavy saucepan. Add brown sugar and salt. Stir until thoroughly combined. Stir in corn syrup and mix well. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until candy reaches firm ball stage (245-250F degrees on candy thermometer). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour into a buttered 9 inch square pan. Cool and cut into squares using scissors and wrap each piece in wax paper.