Animal Fat

Traditional Animal Fats for Cooking

Discover a carefully selected range of traditional animal fats for cooking, including beef tallow, pork lard, Mangalitsa lard, lardo and bacon. These rich, flavourful ingredients have long been used for roasting, frying, baking and slow cooking.

At Best of Hungary, we focus on products with clear provenance, distinctive flavour and reliable cooking performance, sourced from trusted producers and selected for home cooking.

What Are Animal Fats?

Animal fats are traditional cooking fats obtained from animal tissue, usually through rendering or curing.

Beef tallow is rendered beef fat with a rich, savoury flavour that works particularly well for roasting, frying and searing.

Pork lard is rendered pork fat with a softer, milder character, making it suitable for frying, sautéing, baking and traditional recipes.

Lardo is cured pork fatback, typically sliced thinly and served as a delicacy or used to enrich warm dishes. Our guide to lardo explains the difference between cured fatback and rendered lard, with easy ways to serve it.

Bacon combines meat and fat, adding depth, savouriness and richness to a wide range of recipes.

Personally Selected Traditional Animal Fats

Founder Monika Gyenes has vivid memories of her mother’s cooking, where many recipes began with a spoonful of fat taken from a traditional ceramic lard pot. As a keen home cook, she missed the depth of flavour and versatility of these traditional cooking fats and wanted to introduce this important part of Hungarian food culture to a British audience.

Monika partnered with Dezső Szomor of Szomor Farm, whose work with heritage Hungarian breeds reflects a shared interest in keeping traditional products relevant to everyday cooking while supporting their long-term future.

Before adding them to the Best of Hungary range, Monika tested the fats extensively in her own kitchen across savoury and sweet recipes. Her selection focuses on clean flavour, reliable cooking performance and versatility across roasting, frying, baking and traditional recipes.

Raised on the Hungarian Great Plain

The animal fats in this collection come from heritage breeds raised on Szomor Farm in the Kiskunság National Park, part of the Hungarian Great Plain.

The animals are free-ranging and pasture-raised, with natural grazing forming an important part of their diet alongside non-GMO feed.

The beef tallow is made from Hungarian Grey cattle, one of Hungary’s historic native cattle breeds, while the pork fats come from Mangalitsa, also sometimes written as Mangalitza, Hungary’s distinctive woolly pig.

These same breeds are also used to make other traditional products. Explore their wider culinary story in our Heritage-Breed Charcuterie collection.

Well Suited to High-Heat Cooking

Traditional rendered animal fats are particularly useful for roasting, frying and searing because they can tolerate relatively high cooking temperatures while contributing their own characteristic flavour.

Beef tallow has a smoke point of approximately 200°C–215°C, making it particularly well suited to crisp roast potatoes, chips, searing meat and roasting vegetables.

Pork and Mangalitsa lard have a smoke point around 188°C–218°C, depending on rendering, purity and composition. This makes them versatile fats for frying, sautéing, roasting and baking.

For practical advice, timings and everyday recipe ideas, see our guide to cooking with beef tallow.

Why Is Mangalitsa Lard Different?

Mangalitsa is a traditional Hungarian pig breed prized for the quality and abundance of its fat.

Its fat has a characteristically soft texture and relatively low melting behaviour compared with many conventional pork fats, contributing to its rich, silky mouthfeel. At serving temperature, good Mangalitsa fat can quite literally melt on the tongue like butter.

These qualities make Mangalitsa lard particularly appealing for both cooking and charcuterie, where its smooth texture and distinctive flavour are important parts of the finished product. Discover more about the breed in our guide to Mangalitsa pork.

Great Taste Award-Winning Mangalitsa Lard

Our Szomor Farm Mangalitsa Lard was awarded 3 Stars at the 2025 Great Taste Awards by the Guild of Fine Food. This independent recognition provides an additional benchmark for flavour and quality.

View the official Great Taste Awards listing.

How to Use Animal Fats for Cooking

Traditional animal fats work across a wide range of everyday recipes and cooking methods.

Beef tallow is particularly well suited to roast potatoes, chips, searing meat, roasting vegetables and adding richness to savoury dishes.

Pork lard is ideal for frying, sautéing and baking. Mangalitsa lard offers a richer flavour and can also be used in pastry and traditional Hungarian or Central European recipes.

Lardo can be sliced thinly and served over warm bread, roasted vegetables, fish or meat, where it softens gently and adds richness.

Bacon is a versatile ingredient for eggs, soups, stews, beans, vegetables and slow-cooked dishes. If you enjoy traditionally cured meats, explore our broader Hungarian charcuterie collection.

Nitrate-Free Mangalitsa Bacon & Lardo

Our Mangalitsa bacon and lardo are made without added nitrates, nitrites or preservatives, keeping the pork, salt, and traditional curing and smoking processes at the centre of the finished product.

They also feature in our dedicated Nitrate-Free & Preservative-Free Charcuterie collection, alongside selected charcuterie. For a straightforward explanation of the terminology, read our guide to nitrate-free salami.

Animal Fats for Keto, Paleo & Carnivore Cooking

Pure rendered fats such as beef tallow and pork lard contain virtually no carbohydrates, making them commonly used in keto, carnivore and many paleo-style diets.

They are particularly useful for frying, roasting and adding richness to meals where traditional animal fats are preferred over vegetable oils.

Why Choose Traditional Animal Fats?

Traditional animal fats offer a different cooking experience from refined vegetable oils, with distinctive flavour, texture and versatility.

The Best of Hungary range brings together carefully selected products with clear provenance, traditional breeds and practical everyday uses, from high-heat roasting and frying to pastry, charcuterie and slow cooking.

Mangalitsa and Hungarian Heritage Breeds

Some of the products in this collection are made from Mangalitsa, Hungary’s famous native woolly pig. The breed is valued for its rich fat and distinctive flavour, and responsible demand for Mangalitsa products helps preserve an important part of Hungarian farming and food culture.

Explore more products from this traditional Hungarian breed in our Mangalitsa charcuterie collection.

Buy Traditional Animal Fats Online in the UK

Browse our selection of beef tallow, pork lard, Mangalitsa lard, lardo and bacon, chosen for their provenance, flavour and everyday usefulness in the kitchen. We carefully pack orders for delivery across the UK.