Pig-fat patriots

I was talking to my dad the other day about our blueberry harvest, and how I planned to can up all the blueberries (currently in the freezer) when the harvest is complete. I also mentioned how we're going to have to aggressively start using more canned blueberries, since we have so many in the pantry.

"Hmmm, pie," my dad said. "With the piecrust made of lard."

I chuckled over this because I'm a fairly recent convert to lard pie crusts. I had been making pie crusts for decades, but because lard had such a bad reputation, I always used margarine (like that's any healthier?) for the crusts.

But almost exactly ten years ago, I tried using lard for literally the first time, and never looked back. I've used lard for pie crusts ever since.

The lard wars harken back to the attacks on natural fats (lard, butter, tallow, etc.) as being "unhealthy," while their vegetable counterparts were given the green light. However since vegetable fats aren't solid in their natural state, they had to be hydrogenated to create margarine and shortening. Despite this chemical intervention, they were still touted as being healthier than animal fats.

"Lard tragically fell from public favor during the Great War on Monounsaturated Fats in the 20th century," notes this article. "Progressive trans-fats activists launched a bombardment of bad publicity against animal fats starting in the 1950s, often culled from inaccurate sources. Everybody loved lard in the 1960s – yet by the 1980s, nobody dared mention it. Humanity's staple foodstuffs were soon caught in the crossfire: Salt, sugar, eggs, butter and wheat were all savaged as unhealthy over the years. But the times they are a changin'. ... Lard has enjoyed a rebirth in recent years thanks largely to a heroic band of pig-fat patriots who withstood the bad-news blitzkrieg."

Let's hear it for the "heroic band of pig-fat patriots." They make pie crusts SO much better.

A two-crust pie-making tutorial

I was my turn to bring dessert to our weekly potluck. I decided to make pies because they're quick and easy. Then I decided to slow down and take photos along the way, because it occurred to me not everyone finds pie-making to be quick and easy.

I don't profess to be the greatest or most creative pie-maker in the world; but I enjoy making them and prefer homemade to store-bought pies any day.

So without further ado, here's a fast tutorial on making a two-crust fruit pie.

I usually use the recipe from my faithful Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.

I doubled the recipe since I was making two pies. Flour and salt are already in the bowl, and I'm getting ready to measure the lard.

Whenever I measure anything hydrophobic such as lard, butter, peanut butter, etc., I use the displacement method: Fill a measuring cup with one cup of water, then put in the ingredient until the water reaches the required measurement. This is a lot less messy and more accurate than trying to cram the lard into a measuring cup by itself.

Once the lard is in the flour, I use a pastry blender to mix it up.

Next I drizzle in water until the dough holds together. I start with a fork but usually graduate to using my hands at the end.

The dough is now ready to roll out. Because I was making two pies, I divided this dough in half; then from each half, I used about 2/3 for the pie bottom and 1/3 for the pie top.

I think a lot of people have trouble at this stage because they don't have enough flour on the breadboard. Don't be afraid to add enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, either to the breadboard or the rolling pin.

I start by shaping the dough roughly in a flat circle...

...and then rolling it thin.

Here's a quick and easy tip to get the rolled-out dough from the breadboard to the pie pan: roll it loosely onto the rolling pin. Then you can "unroll" it over the pie pan.

This leaves a lot of excess dough around the edges...

...so time to trim. I like to leave about an inch, no more.

The extra dough, of course, gets folded in with the rest of the dough.

Here the two pie bottoms are ready, and there's enough dough left in the bowl for the pie tops. Time for the filling.

I decided to use some of the blueberries I canned up in September.

An advantage of home-canned fruit is that it's, well, fruit. One time I bought a can of "blueberry filling" and found it had about six blueberries in it. Blech.

The pie pans I was using were on the larger side, so I used three pints for each pie. Here the berries are drained.

The cookbook gives the recommended amount of sugar and flour to add to the fruit, though I usually cut back on the sugar.

Sugar and flour added...

...and mixed.

Into the pie pans. This is the stage where the pies start looking, well, pretty.

Now it's time to roll out the pie tops. I divided the remaining dough in half and rolled it into a circle roughly the size of the pie pan...

...then "rolled" the dough onto the rolling pin, and "unrolled" it over the pan.

Repeat for the second pie.

I don't bother trimming the excess dough at this stage, since I don't mind a "thick" pie crust. Instead I just roll the bottom over the top and pinch it all together. If you prefer not to have such a thick crust, then by all means trim off the excess dough before rolling and pinching.

Almost done.

Don't forget to prick the top with a fork!

I usually lightly brush the top with milk. It seems to make for a slightly crisper crust.

I used to use aluminum foil around the edges to keep them from burning, but a couple years ago I found these gizmos called Talisman pie shields . Wow, worth every penny; they work perfectly.

Then into the oven for about an hour. The pie shields come off about half-way through baking.

Voila, two finished pies.

I also whipped some cream before the potluck as well. Yum.

So that's your pie tutorial du jour. Happy baking!