Prior to the mid-20th century, lard, the rendered fat of a pig, was America’s preferred grease. In the 1950s, however, the Procter & Gamble company had a lot of excess oil on their hands, and developed Crisco, marketing it to housewives and cooks as the better, healthier lard. Then we all watched the movie Stand By Me, met the character Lardass, and lard was officially pronounced dead.
But recently lard has waddled its way back to our tables, as pork-based Southern dishes are all the rage and nutritionists tell us it's more about unsaturated vs. saturated than the fat itself. Don’t get me wrong, lard is nothing but 100% pure unadulterated FAT (butter compares at 81%), but in this pie crust recipe, a little goes a long way for a flaky, fluffy, beautiful crust. Throw in some potatoes, chilies, cheddar, and bacon, and you’ve got yourself a perfect pie for a hot summer day at the beach. After all that fat, you’ll be a pro at floating along on those ocean waves!
Read on in The Runcible Spoon