Lard is rendered pork fat — pig fat melted slowly until it separates from the connective tissue, then strained to a clean, soft, snow-white fat that sets to a smooth, spreadable solid at room temperature. Softer and lower-melting than beef tallow and milder in flavour, it is the foundational fat of flaky pastry, refried beans, tamales, and countless traditional cuisines from Mexico to Central Europe.