Lard Pie Crust

This tender flaky lard pie crust recipe is straight from my great grandma’s recipe box. It practically melts in your mouth.

There are two secrets that make a super tender crust. The first is keeping it nice and cold.

Start with cold water and lard and refrigerate the crust again before you bake it. The second is to work the dough as little as possible.

Stir together flour and salt.1½ cups all purpose flour, 1 pinch salt
Cut in lard until you have a crumbly mixture.½ cup lard
Add just enough water to make it come together into a dough.3 to 4 Tablespoons cold water
Pat into a flat disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill at least a half hour.

Roll into a thin circle and fit into your pie pan.
For the flakiest crust, put the crust lined pie plate back in the refrigerator for another 15 minutes. Or go ahead and proceed to bake according to your pie filling’s instructions.

To bake the pie shell without fillings, preheat oven to 425°F.
Prick the crust a few times with a fork, then line with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 12 minutes.
Carefully remove paper or foil and weights then ake 8 to 10 minutes more for a partially baked crust, or for a fully baked crust 10 to 12 minutes longer until golden brown.

This is enough for a single pie crust. Double the recipe for a double crust pie.
You can make pie crust dough ahead of time if you want. Store the disk of wrapped dough in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze it up to three months. Defrost frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Using a good quality rendered lard will make for the best pie crust. If it’s not by the shortening or butter, you may ask at the meat counter or at a local butcher shop.