Lard Pie Crust

It seems like everyone has a love/hate relationship with homemade pie crust. Either you have a pie crust recipe that you adore and works fabulously for you every time, or you can never get pie crust to work, no matter how many tips, tricks, or recipes you try. Fear not, failures happen to the best of us, I tried to make a gluten free pie crust one day and it could only be described as gooey. 

Lard has been used by cooks and housewives around the globe for centuries to give pie crusts that tender, flakey crust we all crave. But wait, won’t using lard make my crust taste like pork? Nope! Not if you use the correct type of lard. For baking you want to select “leaf lard”, which comes from around the kidneys and is perfect for baking since it does not have the pork taste. Click HERE to learn more about the different kinds of lard and how to render your own lard. 

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For a single pie crust- double for a two crust pie

1 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup leaf lard
2-3 tablespoons cold water

In a small bowl, mix salt and flour together. Cut lard into flour/salt mix with a fork or pastry cutter until in pea sized bits. 
Slowly add water a tablespoon at a time until you have smooth, workable dough. Form dough into a ball (or two for a double crust pie) and turn out onto a well floured surface. Dust rolling pin with flour and roll out to ~⅛” thick, dusting with more flour as needed. 
Carefully fold dough into quarters and transfer to the pie plate. Press dough into plate, smoothing and patching as needed. 
For a single crust pie, fold the edge under and pinch for a clean edge, trimming any excess as needed. 
Fill with filling and bake according to pie directions. ​

Tips: 

• Make sure your lard is good and cold, even stick it in the freezer for extra chill
  
• Do not skimp on the flour when dusting your work surface. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to peel stuck pie crust dough up
  
• Place a few ice cubes in a glass of water when you start, then dip your tablespoons of water out. ​