el Ducko wrote:...and while we're on the "chitterlings as casing" question, is it possible to use lard in place of pork trimmings, or has the rendering process led to a lower melting point for the fat?
My "local" supermarket doesn't do trimming anymore, but I can buy manteca/lard by the bucket.
Chitterlings as casing - I wouldn't, because the chitterlings haven't been prepared the way casing is prepared. Chitterlings have a stronger smell for a reason, likely having to do with the fat and membrane that hasn't been scraped away. While you could use chitterlings as middles, I'm not sure you'd care for the result, unless you finish processing them before use.
In rendering, the melting point for lard may or may not change, depending on how it was rendered. The problem is that it is no longer contained in the structure of the fatty tissue, so it is like using pre-smeared fat smear in your sausage. Also, and again depending on the rendering method, the fat has had heat and air applied, so it will oxidize and go rancid. You could chill lard and mix it into a sausage, but I expect it would behave just like fat smear, and leave you with mealy, protein BB's, instead of sausage, once cooked.