Fried potatoes in lard: A side dish done right

Everyone's favorite side dish is some form of potato, right?

For us, potatoes make a regular appearance at the Spadea dinner table.

Yesterday I talked about and posted the recipe for a quick and easy new take on the traditional Philly cheesesteak made with pork neck filet. The only thing that made that perfect meal even better was the fried potato side.

Parboiling russet potatoes for extra-crispy fries

I took some russet potatoes and cut them into large wedges, leaving the skin on. Then, I placed them submerged in cold water in a pot on the stove.

With the cover on, I turned up the heat to bring it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, remove the cover and add a generous amount of salt.

Cook the potatoes for about 10-15 minutes until you can easily slide a fork in and out of the largest piece.

As you know, we no longer use seed oils in our cooking, so I had a choice of animal fat for the frying segment of the process.

I went with lard, pork fat, which I buy in 32-ounce tubs through Amazon.

Frying potatoes in lard for old-school flavor

In a stainless-steel pan, I melted the lard on medium heat; it was about a half-inch of liquid fat. Once hot, place your potatoes in the fat.

No need to touch them, let them brown fully on one side and then flip.

Once the potatoes are golden brown, take them out and add sea salt.

It's that simple. Delicious, and awesome.

New and classic favorites: The best dive bars in New Jersey

The term "dive bar" used to be something derogatory. Nowadays it's more of a badge of honor to say to own one, go to one, or work at one.

We started in South Jersey, stopped A LOT in Central Jersey and ended in North Jersey. We left out the Jersey Shore bar because there are just too many to choose from. If your favorite isn't on the list, don't be offended, just tell us about it. Here we go...

Gallery Credit: Dennis Malloy

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own.

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