Lard Fried Onion Strings

There are onion rings (in my opinion) that aren’t even worth eating. These are most definitely, not those onion rings.

If the batter to onion ratio is too high it feels like “what’s the point”? The secret is to get the right ratio of batter to onion. Which I think can only be achieved with a beer batter.

Here’s some tips for the perfect onion strings

-Pre-slice your onions and soak them in cold water for a few minutes. This will mellow out the “bite” of the onion. But if you stick to vidalia sweet onions (especially fresh, not cured) you can probably skip this part. Be sure to dry them off on a towel before battering them up.

-Thin sliced onions. The thicker the onion, the thicker the batter and it just gets too bulky and messy. A mandolin slicer is perfect for this job.

-Oil temperature. 375 degrees fahrenheit is perfect to get nice, crispy onion rings that don’t feel too greasy or heavy. The perfect temperature also helps the batter cling to the onion instead of sliding off while cooking.

-Do not, I repeat, do not overcrowd the pot. Good things come to those who wait. Work in small batches for ultimate crispyness.

-Set up a tray with a cookie cooling rack. I know placing them on paper towels is a popular choice to soak up the oil. But you are just going to make them soggy faster. Keep the finished onion rings suspended on a cookie cooling rack so the excess oil can drip off and the strings stay nice and crisp. I like to put my oven on “keep warm” and put the finished strings in there on a cookie sheet with a cooling rack for optimum crispiness until the whole bunch is finished.

And the most secret ingredient of a good onion ring…

-The oil you fry them in. The answer? Lard. It’s simply lard. All natural fat rendered down from the back of a hog. Pork fat is your best friend with all things fried. We love raising our own pigs to get the most wholesome, antibiotic free, pasture raised pork lard avaiable.

We made this recipe for our monthly farm to table dinner we lovingly call Supper Club. And my goodness, you would think these people have never had an onion ring before!

THE PERFECT ONION STRING

• 1 large Vidalia onion (thinly sliced)

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

• 6 ounces beer (1/2 can)

• 1 large egg

  Use 1 quart of lard to make sure the onions can float on top of the oil. If there is too little in the pan they will burn on the bottom. Once I’m finished I will let the oil cool slightly. Then strain it and put it in the fridge to use again another time (just don’t go grabbing this lard for your pie crust. Unless of course, its a pot pie).

If the batter runs off of the onions while frying check your oil temp. Remember, 375 degrees. If that still doesn’t work you may need to adjust your batter. Add a bit more flour until the consistency clings to the onions but it still thin enough to dredge them through easily.

A zesty dipping sauce is hard to beat. But if your onion rings are ACTUALLY done right, I think they stand alone without a sauce.