Southern biscuits made with lard are among the most technically perfect baked goods in the American food tradition. The lard provides flakiness that butter cannot fully replicate — lard's fat crystals are larger and more plastic than butter's, and they create the steam pockets during baking that produce layers. Add a pork sausage gravy made with whole milk and lard as the roux fat, and you have the quintessential seed oil free American breakfast.
Lard Biscuits and Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- Biscuits: 250g (2 cups) plain flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp sea salt, 80g (⅓ cup) cold pasture-raised lard (cut into small pieces), 180ml (¾ cup) cold whole milk
- Gravy: 300g bulk pork breakfast sausage, 3 tbsp lard, 3 tbsp plain flour, 700ml (3 cups) whole milk, 1 tsp dried sage, sea salt, lots of black pepper
Method
- Biscuits: preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold lard pieces. Work the lard into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles peas in sand — some pieces should remain visible. Add the cold milk. Stir until just combined.
- Turn out onto a floured surface. Pat (do not roll) to 3cm thickness. Cut with a sharp biscuit cutter — do not twist. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes until golden.
- Gravy: cook the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up, until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Add the lard to the sausage drippings in the pan. Melt over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.
- Gradually whisk in the whole milk, ensuring no lumps. Add the sage. Simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the gravy is thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Return the sausage. Season very generously with salt and pepper.
- Split the hot biscuits. Pour gravy over everything.
Why lard for biscuits?
Lard produces a flakier biscuit than butter because its fat crystals are larger, creating more distinct layers when they melt during baking. Many Southern bakers argue there is no substitute.
Is this recipe seed oil free?
Yes. Pasture-raised lard and whole milk contain no seed oils. Check the pork sausage label — some commercial sausages contain soybean oil as a filler.
Why not roll the dough?
Pressing a biscuit cutter straight down and lifting without twisting produces biscuits that rise straight and even. Twisting seals the edges and prevents the layers from separating.
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