Flaky Pie Crust using Lard

I have heard that the best, most flaky pie crusts are made with lard. After trialing many recipes and tasting some so-so results, this one turns out beautifully! It makes a double crust, but you could half the ingredients for a single crust quite easily. Use a special type of lard called leaf lard for sweet pies. The crust on the meat pie pictured here uses lard from back fat.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of salt

6 tablespoons of lard

6 tablespoons of butter

6-8 tablespoons of water

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the flour and salt in a medium sized bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers encorporate the lard and butter into the flour. Add a couple tablespoons of water at a time into the mixture until it just sticks together. Form into two balls and refrigerate for at least an hour (I believe this refrigeration step is a big part of the key to success! When I have skipped this step the crust has not held together well). Roll out on a floured surface, and use in any recipe that calls for a crust according to those instructions.