Do you use lard in your pie crust?

[MexicoKaren]

Here in Mexico, lard is readily available and widely used. Today, I went to make an apple tart and didn't want to take time to chill the shortening. Since I already had lard in the fridge, I used 1/2 butter and 1/2 lard for the crust. Omigosh - it is so light and flaky and good. I've posted a picture - you can see how flaky it is. Anyone else use lard for baking?

[Andy M.]

I use a combination of shortening and butter.

[Katie E]

Karen, that's beautiful. I can see how flaky it is. Bet it tastes good, too.

Sometimes I use lard. Sometimes not. However, I ALWAYS use lard in my pastie dough. It would be sacrilegious to use anything else in this house.

You're right. Lard produces a wonderfully flaky crust.

[Jeff G.]

Lard or Shortening work GREAT. Lard has more flavor...

[MexicoKaren]

Yes, it does. I'm a convert.

[suziquzie]

My Dad always used 1/2 lard 1/2 butter so I never knew any other way to make a pie crust!

[shortchef]

I always use lard. Won a prize in a local cooking contest with one of my pies, the judges told me the filling was good but the crust was incredible. It was the lard.

[Wart]

Mom used Crisco so naturally I started out using Crisco.

Then I made my first Lard crust and I realized how unnatural Crisco crusts taste.

And lard has a melt in the mouth quality I never experienced with Crisco.

I feel lard has an unusual taste but I think its because of all those decades of eating shortening. And its a bit of a mind twist to think lard tastes odd because lard came first.

And I'm trying to adopt the philosophy of closer to the farm the better, lard comes from pigs, shortening comes from a chemistry set.

QQ: How long does lard keep? I have some in the fridge and some unopened in the pantry.

[MexicoKaren]

Wart, here is a previous DC discussion on the subject: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums...ard-21064.html

[Wart]

Originally Posted by MexicoKaren

Wart, here is a previous DC discussion on the subject: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums...ard-21064.html

THANKS!

Once again the more I learn the more confusing it becomes ... it was written "TUB lard you find on supermarket shelves ... so I went looking for T.U.B. lard, as in Triglycerides leading to Ultimate Blockage ? Lard ... No, dummy, lard in a TUB ! LMAO!!

Why do I make everything harder than it needs to be?