Leaf Lard Crust Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, lemon zest and juice, rum (if using), vanilla, cornstarch, nutmeg and salt. Macerate at room temperature for about 2 hours or, refrigerated, overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Dust a worktop and rolling pin with flour. Roll out one dough disk a little less than 1/4-inch thick, about 14 inches in diameter. Fold the dough in half and transfer it to a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Unfold. Press the dough into the corners, leaving the overhang. Refrigerate the first crust while you roll out the second disk of dough.
• Remove the bottom crust from the fridge and fill it with the macerated apples. Tuck the pats of cold butter beneath the top layer of fruit. Top with the second piece of dough, and trim both to a 1/2-inch overhang. Tuck the overhang into a roll and crimp the edge, pressing down to hook some of the dough over the edge of the dish. (You want to make a hard crimp because it will shrink as it cooks.) Cut a hole in the center of the pie, as well as some decorative vents.
• Brush the top of the pie with cream, dust it with sugar, and bake for 20 minutes.
• Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 45 to 55 minutes, until the center juices bubble and thicken, for a total of about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let the pie cool until it is just warm to the touch before slicing and serving.
• Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the lard and the butter, and cut them in with a pastry blender until the larger pieces are the size of peas and the mixture begins to clump on the pastry blender. Shuffle through the mixture with your hands, pinching chunks of lard to flatten them.
• Add 4 tablespoons of the ice water and mix with a fork. Pinch a clump of dough in your hands: If it feels moist and clumps together easily, it's probably hydrated enough. If it feels really crumbly, add another tablespoon or two of ice water until you can form a baseball-size clump of dough, packing it on as if you were making a snowball. You want to mix the dough as little as possible to ensure it stays tender.
• Divide the dough in half and form each half into a flat disk. Wrap both disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Thirty minutes before you're ready to roll out the dough, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature to soften.

Steps:

• Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the lard with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, blending gently with a fork or pastry blender until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans the sides of the bowl. Divide the dough in half and shape flattened rounds. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Steps:

• In a food processor, briefly pulse together the flour and salt. Add the butter and lard and pulse until the mixture forms chickpea-size pieces (3 to 5 one-second pulses). Or, if making by hand, stir together the flour and salt. Use two knives or a pastry cutter to cut the butter and lard into the flour mixture until you get slightly smaller pieces, the size of green peas.
• Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse or mix until the mixture is just moist enough to hold together. Form the crust into a ball, wrap with plastic and flatten into a disc. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before rolling out and baking.

Steps:

• Place a medium mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.
• Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag, and whisk them together.
• Using a melon baller, scoop 1/2-1 inch balls of the lard directly into the flour, shaking the bag occasinally to distribute and cover them with the flour.
• If the room is warm and the lard starts getting very soft, place the bag in the freezer for about 10 minutes before proceeding.
• It is is still firm but squishable once it's all been added, using a rolling pin, roll together the lard and flour until the lard is in thin flakes.
• Place the bag in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
• Empty the flour mixture into the cold bowl, scraping the sides of the bag to release all of it.
• Set the bag aside.
• Sprinkle on the ice water and vinegar, tossing gently with a rubber spatula to incorporate it evenly.
• Spoon the mixture back into the plastic bag (if using caul fat, which is softer, the dough will already hold together, so it's easier to empty it out onto a piece of plastic wrap and knead it lightly from the outside of the wrap).
• Holding both ends of the bag opening with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.
• Sprinkle the dough on both sides with a little whole wheat flour, wrap it with plastic wrap, flatten into a disc, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight.
• STORES refrigerated up to 3 days; frozen, up to 3 months.
• NOTE: When rolling the dough, roll it directly on the counter or on plastic wrap.
• Sprinkle both sides of the dough and the counter or plastic wrap amply with whole wheat flour as needed to keep it from sticking.
• (The whole wheat flour will not toughen it and will give it extra crunch and a lovely, wheaty flavor.) POINTERS FOR SUCCESS: Pay particular attention to temperature, keeping the lard well-chilled.
• When mixing the lard flakes/flour mixture with the liquid, stir gently so as to maintain large flakes of lard.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in water, a tablespoon at a time, until pastry holds together. Shape into a ball; chill for 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Transfer to a 10-in. pie plate. Flute edges; fill and bake as pie recipe directs.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place lard in a Dutch oven and bake until fat melts and the cracklings float to the surface, stirring every 45 minutes (this may take up to 4 hours). Remove from oven and strain into a heatproof glass measuring cup; discard solids. Pour rendered lard into small ice-cube trays about halfway full and freeze.