What does that even mean; a Perfect Pie Crust? Until recently I wasn’t sure. I feel like I’ve spent years in search of what would be perfect for me and reminiscent of those my Grandma used to bake and yet they all fell short of expectations; it was that ‘flaky’ factor that remained forever elusive. Believe me, I’ve tried too. There has been Pate Brisee; supposedly the cream of the crop and yet while tasty from all of that butter, it simply did not elicit the exclamation from me that I was so hoping for. There has been butter AND shortening, cream cheese and lemon and vinegar in pies that always tasted good but just never did IT! I eventually decided that my expectations when the word ‘flaky’ was used were just beyond the pale; that I was expecting more than possible. So I settled and most often found I preferred graham cracker or shortbread crusts; they’re not expected to be flaky and on that they deliver.
Once I decided that the perfect pie crust was a fairy tale and that I no longer wanted to be the heroine who struggles through travail after travail I gave up. True confession time? In lieu of finding that elusive and wonderful pastry that I was certain did not really exist except in my imagination I found some solace in using Pillsbury Pie Dough (gasp!); the kind that you unroll and fit into your own plate. No one ever complained and it sure was easy and my search became a thing of the past and life moved on.
Still; I must have had something way back in that guagmire of nerve endings we call a brain that never quite let go so I paid attention and the person I found myself paying the most attention to was Kate McDermott. She of all pies. The pie woman, the pie mistress, the Art of the Pie website, the woman with a doggone pie cottage even! We bonded over my story of a fence and she gave me the scoop. And I’m sharing this scoop with you. It’s simple. It’s LARD. Pig fat. Almost banned from our kitchens for eternity for years but now pigs have lost their association with evil and we’re enjoying bacon and ribs and yes, lard in our pies. Poor pig fat even has ugly connotations. Lard Butt. Lard Ass. Well now every single time I hear that I will think, ‘That person must have a great big beautiful and FLAKY butt!’
Wait though. Kate takes it one step further and recommends Leaf Lard. Lard from leaves? No silly! Leaf lard is the highest grade of lard (lard is pork fat, the term is usually used to refer to rendered pork fat suitable for cooking). It comes from the visceral – or “soft” – fat from around the kidneys and loin of the pig. It lacks any real pork or meaty flavor, making it an excellent neutral-flavor for pie crusts.
Leaf lard can be tricky to track down. Some small butcher shops make and sell it. I’m SO lucky to have a relationship with 5280 Beef; a Colorado organic beef and pork producer and they knew exactly what I wanted. Rendering your own is quite simple if you can find the fat. Put the pork fat in a pot and gently heat it on the stove or in the oven until the fat is melted and any bits of meat are rendered out (they will be browned and crisp and delicious, by the way). Transfer the lard to a container with a sealable lid and store, chilled, for up to a month or freeze it if it needs to last longer. Making me even luckier? My friends Rachel and Ty sent me fat that was already rendered. SIX pounds of it! I’ve already promised some to friends but I have to tell you…I might be making a whole lot of pies! That first bite; that flaky thing that I had never known since Grandma; there is was. Amazing. A recipe without sugar or any special accoutrements and it was the best I had ever had.
The pie filling itself is simple and basic; letting the fruit shine. I recently bought a new cherry pitter and I’ve had to fight off the neighbor kids who want to pit cherries for me…now that’s a workload I don’t miss! I had the neighbors over for a pie party this past weekend and served this cherry pie, a peach pie with a brown sugar crumble (recipe next week!) and a delicious blueberry/lemon curd pie that was so good but needs work to stop the landslide of the lemon layer when I serve it. This crust was fabulous for all of them and both parents and kids ate with abandon. I also made some cookies from pie dough. Little Mason called those his and scarfed down almost every single one of them. It was a fun night but I got NO photos.
So…here is a photo from my backyard instead that has nothing to do with pies but everything to do with my new yard, my plethora of potted plants and a little cherry tomato plant that seems happy. I rescued another one from someone’s trash and it’s starting to thrive along with basil, thyme, rosemary and mint…all in pots this year. My first gardening since 2012 and it’s reminded me of how much I love it. Loved it even more with a bunch of kids scurrying around eating pie!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield: Makes enough for a double-crust 9 or 10-inch pie
Serve with either vanilla ice cream or this Amaretto Whipped Cream from Jessica at How Sweet Eats. Divine!
http://www.howsweeteats.com/2014/07/sweet-cherry-pie-with-amaretto-whipped-cream/
Ingredients
- For the Pie Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 Tbsp cold butter (1/4 cup), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 8 Tbsp cold lard, (1/4 cup) separated into several chunks
- 6-8 Tbsp ice water For the filling:
- 5 to 6 cups pitted cherries (any variety, fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 to 1 cup granulated sugar (depending on how sweet your cherries are; I used 3/4 cup for what I would have called average sweetness cherries)
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 2 Tbsp (1 ounce) butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Preparation
- To Make the Pie Crust:
- Mix flour and salt in food processor fitted with metal blade.
- Cut in butter cubes with five 1-second pulses. Add cold lard and continue cutting in until flour resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits no bigger than small peas, about 4 additional 1-second pulses. Turn mixture out into a medium-sized bowl.
- Use your fingers to quickly sift through the mixture and if you find any really large chunks, just massage with some flour with your fingers to break it up.
- Sprinkle 3 Tbsp of ice water over mixture. With a fork, fluff to mix thoroughly. Squeeze a handful of dough — if it doesn’t stick together, add two more tablespoons of water and repeat. Continue adding 1 tablespoon at a time until a quick squeeze of the dough shows it is sticking togeether.
- 4. Divide dough into two and then flatten into 6-inch discs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling. I had better success using a pastry cloth than trying to roll it on my granite top but in either case, make sure you sprinkle counter/cloth with flour and flour your rolling pin. To Make and Assemble the Pie:
- In a large bowl, toss together the cherries (if using frozen cherries, they should be frozen; do not thaw), sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
- Let the cherry mixture sit for about 20 minutes if using fresh cherries, 60 minutes if using frozen cherries. (If your cherries have developed a lot of juice, you will need to cook the mixture in a saucepan on simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes; let cool.)
- Remove your dough from the fridge. Roll one piece into a circle large enough to fill a 9-10" pie place and fit gently into plate. DO NOT stretch your dough!
- Dump the cooled cherry filling into the crust-lined pie plate. Dot the top with the butter evenly over the filling and then make your lattice crust (See notes; easier than you think!)
- Trim the dough, roll the edges under and crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork then lightly brush the entire surface of the pastry with the beaten egg.
- Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
- Bake the pie at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 375°F (190°C) and bake until bubbling, at least another 30 minutes (longer if using frozen cherries).
- Let the pie cool slightly before slicing and serving.
