If you can get a source of good, NON-hydrogenated lard, it's great. Unfortunately, the lard in the grocery stores has been hydrogenated. I don't know why, hydrogenation is usually to make a liquid oil solid at room temp. Lard already is, so why they screw up perfectly good lard by turning it into trans fats, I don't know. Maybe it keeps longer. Though if you pour hot lard into clean jars and seal, it'll keep practically forever.
If you can't raise a pig yourself, and harvest the lard when you butcher, maybe you can find somebody who raised their own pork who might be willing to sell some of the lard.
Nice recipe, Miss Prissy! Looks yummy, I'll try it. I like to try different methods, so I can have a change now and then.
I do mine a little differently, I just dredge in flour, put it in the hot grease, and salt and pepper it in the pan. I start with the heat about medium high. I usually cook two full skillets at a time. By the time I finish filling the second skillet, (flouring the pieces as I go) the first one is getting a bit brown. I turn it, reduce the heat to a medium simmer, salt and pepper again, and put a lid on it. By then the second skillet's ready to turn, so I repeat the process. I turn several times while it cooks, larger pieces especially, to brown all sides. When it's about done, I remove the lids and let it crisp back up again.
It doesn't have a thick a crust as the deeper grease fried produces, but it's delicious. Lots of brown crumblies to make milk gravy from, too.
