The notion of butter can refer to different products. The first meaning mentioned by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) in its dictionary refers to the substance obtained by beating, kneading and then letting the cream extracted from the milk mature.
Lard, known as butter in some regions, is an emulsion consumed by humans in multiple ways. It can be spread on bread or cookies or used in the preparation of cakes and cakes, to name a few of the many possibilities.
One of the characteristics that butter contributes to meals is smoothness, either when it is used so that the pasta does not stick or when it is incorporated into the preparation of a dough to give it a creamy and fluffy consistency. There is a clear difference between a dough prepared simply with flour and water and one that also contains butter; In general, the first is used in savory dishes such as pizza or bread, while the second is more typical of sweets or certain more elaborate savory cakes, such as empanadas.
The use of butter is also possible when preparing a sauce or a sauce, both instead of oil and to complement it. For example, if we sauté garlic, onion, red pepper and mushrooms only with oil, the result is less homogeneous, although it is perfectly suitable for use as a topping for a dough; If we only add a tablespoon of butter when the ingredients have already softened, we will obtain a creamier and thicker consistency, more similar to a sauce than to a conventional stir-fry.
The cream (cream) and milk have butterfat in the form of globules that are surrounded by proteins and membranes composed of phospholipids. By shaking the cream, these membranes break down and the fats gather into a single mass, separating themselves from other elements.
It is also known as lard to the fat of certain animals and fruits. The lard, which is obtained from the peritoneum or belly of the pig, is used for frying and as an ingredient. The cocoa butter, meanwhile, is a fat originating from cocoa, which is extracted under the preparation of chocolate.
Unlike milk butter, peanut butter is usually used on its own, also to spread bread or in the preparation of sweet and sour cakes, but it does not require sugar or other ingredients that are common with the first. For example, at breakfast it is common to prepare slices of bread with buttermilk and white or black sugar, jam or dulce de leche, while if we use peanut butter it is not necessary to add anything.
The shortening, finally, is an oil that, through a process plant hydrogenation solidifies. Its color and aroma are neutral. This represents an alternative to milk butter that is appreciated by vegans and strict vegetarians, those who refuse to consume products of animal origin.
With vegetable shortening, one of whose versions is made from olive oil, it is possible to reproduce any dish that uses milk, although the results are not always equivalent. Despite this, vegans use it to spread toast, to accompany pasta and even to prepare doughs such as puff pastry.