She's not kidding when she says they use the whole pig. Wise Acre Eatery offers rendered lard from the hogs it processes. "We have been making really good pie dough with it," said Beth Fisher, chef at Wise Acre Eatery. "We're big on using the whole thing."

Her pork comes from the restaurant's farm in Plato, Minn. Fisher has the butcher save the fat, which she then renders in the restaurant kitchen and cans, to be sold to bakers who want the flakiest pie dough. Don't want to make your own? In January Fisher expects to sell her own sweet or savory pie dough for meals-to-go.

But fat goes beyond pie crust. Wise Acre also offers duck fat and bacon fat for sale. Fisher suggests a little creativity in using the products. "Roast potatoes in a little duck fat, with salt, pepper and rosemary," she said. "For bacon fat, cook an egg in a little of it and you've got bacon-and-eggs. Or toss green beans in for a different flavor direction."

LEE SVITAK DEAN

$7 for 8 ounces; Wise Acre Eatery, 5401 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., 612-354-2577, www.wiseacreeatery.com