Should You Use Lard Instead of Butter When Making a Pie Crust? Does it make the flakiest, most flavorful pastry? It depends who you ask. Ask a random sampling of pastry chefs, bakers, and home cooks ...

We all want our holiday pies to have the flakiest crust possible. But achieving that seems tricky even after you've followed every rule in the book, like using cold ingredients and not overworking the ...

We tested three common fats—butter, shortening, and lard—to see which would produce the crispiest, flakiest pie crust. If you're making a pie in advance, butter or lard is your best bet. Both fats ...

Lard was the canary in the coal mine of culinary correctness. Rendered pig fat was ubiquitous in human diets for centuries. It was used to fry everything from dough to chicken and was an essential ...

This versatile fat makes my tamales, fried chicken, noodles, and baked goods so much better. Depending on the batch, lard's flavor can range from distinctly meaty to neutral and all-but flavorless.

Here we are, sliding toward Thanksgiving — a holiday centered around eating and being grateful and joining with family around the table. It’s a beautiful holiday, really, and it’s never really about ...

Here we are, sliding toward Thanksgiving — a holiday centered around eating and being grateful and joining with family around the table. It’s a beautiful holiday, really, and it’s never really about ...

I asked Tanya what kind of pie she would like for her goodbye and thank you send off. I was pleased to hear her say “Peach Pie, double crust, and by the way use the lard I brought from NYC for you.” I ...