You can of course make these biscuits with lard or duck fat. But if you do, make sure the lard is freshly rendered, not the nasty hydrogenated stuff that can be kept at room temperature. If going all-bear or duck or lard freaks you out, go half and half. You will notice that my biscuits are a little dark. This is because I used 1/2 cup of acorn flour. You can do this, too, or sub in up to 1/2 cup of any other sort of flour for variety.
2tablespoonsbear fat or melted butter(to brush on top)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Get a baking sheet or cast iron frying pan ready.
Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the bear fat and mash it into the flour with a fork or a pastry cutter. Work fast so the bear fat doesn't melt on you. You're done when the mixture looks like little crumbly peas.
Pour in the buttermilk and stir together just until the dough comes together. It should be pretty sticky, but the dough will come away from the sides of the bowl. Don't overwork it, or your biscuits will be tough.
Cover your hands lightly with flour and pick the dough up and set it on a floured work surface; I use a clean kitchen counter. Don't knead the dough so much as fold it over on itself. Flatten it out into a disc about 3/4 inch thick. Use a cutter or a glass to cut rounds out, setting each one on the baking sheet or frying pan so they are just barely touching each other. Reform the dough until you use it all up. If the cutter gets sticky, dust it with flour.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops begin to brown. As soon as they come out, paint with the melted butter. Eat warm.