Perfect Apple Pie

[Kimmie]

Sometimes, I use a combo lard/butter. Never used the leaf lard though and it looks interesting. I don't use Crisco though, we have something here under the brand Tenderleaf. It's lard as opposed to the vegetable stuff, i.e. Crisco.

I always add a little bit of white vinegar or lemon juice which ensures tenderness and flakiness.

[W.DeBord]

O.k. I still don't follow exactly...."To render" means to me... to slowly cook off (sorry I don't have a cooking dictionary)/ to render off fat I would cook off the fat? Like bacon, just cook it and it melts into softer fat, then store in the cooler? Isn't veg. fat healthier than animal fat???

But when I use rendered fat it really tastes like the animal it comes from...? Not so clear/clean of a flavor.


Sandy here's the recipe for the mealy crust:

This make 4 crusts if you only want 1, divide the recipe by 4 and that will give you the right quanities of 1.

20 oz. flour
13 oz. shortening
5 oz. ice cold h2o
2 tsp. salt
1 oz. sugar

Rub shortening into flour and salt until fat pieces are like cornmeal in texture. Dissolve salt and sugar in h2o and just gently mix until water is absorbed. Refridgerate apox. 4 hours till well chilled before making your pie.

Use that crust for your bottom crust, then use your own pie dough recipe for your top . Preferable one that's about 1/2 butter 1/2 shortening.


Apple filling: makes 1 pie

2 lbs. apples peeled and sliced (I needed more for a full 9" pie)
1 oz. butter
3 oz. sugar

saute until apples just barely start turning soft. Then mix together and add:

2 oz. cold h2o
1 oz. cornstarch

Boil this with your apples for a breif moment. Then add:

3.5 oz. sugar
1/3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. lemon juice (I omit this when my apples are very tart)
2 tsp. butter

Stir gentle until butter melts and sugar is disolved. Spread apple filling out on a sheet pan to cool and place in the refridgerator to cool down the quickly.

Assemble as usual using mealy dough for your bottom crust. Bake at 425 apro. 40 minutes (or until the dough on the bottom is set). Cool quickly by placing pie on cake rack (not on a solid surface).

[shroomgirl]

Yep~ over a low heat cook or simmer the leaf lard until you have"cracklins" and liquid fat. It solidifies like veg shortening. Leaf lard does not have an overt animal flavor and is an old time favorite for deep fried chicken or pies. Healthy aspects.....I've read shtuff recently that says coconut oil is good for you....animal fats better than hydrogenated veg.....who knows what to believe....moderation is probably the best response.

[thebighat]

Just for the heck of it I made a pie recently using Morrell Lard. It tasted piggy and meaty. I didn't notice that it was any flakier than my usual delicious pie crust. I typically rub in the cold butter first, leaving it huge, then the shortening, then just toss it with the ice water.

[Kimmie]

Hi Wendy,

1. Take the fat and dice it roughly. Try not to include any scraps of meat. The fat around the kidneys is considered choicest.
2. Put the diced fat, which you have weighed, into a large kettle with a couple tablespoons of water.
3. Heat it over moderate heat until completely rendered and clear and the water has evaporated off. You should have clear, unbrowned fat, with some brown bits in the bottom.
4. Now, according to my Gram, comes the “secret” part. For each 10 pounds of lard that you started with, add 1 pound of best quality unsalted butter and let it stand in the fat til melted. Mix gently and ladle off the lard into crocks or however you plan to store it in a cool place. Be sure to get only the clear stuff.
5. Drain the brown bits and top a green salad with them.



Uses:
Pie crust
Tamale dough


P.S.: "In Julia's Kitchen" you will find hard facts about lard. My books are in storage right now. Can someone find and post Julia's findings for me? and yes Shroom, moderation is probably the best response.

[Isa]

Sorry Kimmie I don't have In Julia's Kitchen.


There are a few lard pie crust recipes in The Pie And Pastry Bible.

[nancya]

Shirley O. Corriher has an extensive [really extensive] discussion of fats and flours in pie crust in Cookwise . Now that Iza has me started making pies again...I want to experiment with some of Shirley's recipes and see whether lard does make the flakiest crust and whether low protein flour makes a more tender crust.

[m brown]

adding things like lard (high melting point and low moisture), milk powder(colour) and acid (lemon juice or vinegar to relax the proteins) help to create the flakiest of crusties.

the best thing ever for a picture perfect pie, but you would not want to eat it, is puff paste-a combination of tallow and hard hydroginated fat. The melting point is so high, when you eat it, it coats your mouth, awful! but very pretty.


Next question, a la mode or chedder?

[Anneke]

My husband loved apple pie with cheese (any cheese) long before he ever found out that this is commonly done. What a great palate! I don't like a la mode because I tend to be a slow eater and the ice cream usually melts and makes goo out of the crust before I'm done. So, cheddar it is for me too I guess. (although I think I still prefer raw apples with my cheese).

[W.DeBord]

I have never tried it with cheese, one day I will. In my family the pie is the accompaniment to the ice cream not the other way around.

For ala carte (when cheese is requested) do you prefer to put your pie slice with cheese (one slice or two?) in the oven to melt or the broiler? Cheddar or american?

[Isa]

I love apple pie, when it’s really home made. I never but grocery store apple pie. The apple never taste like apple and they’re often floating in sometime of goo. The crust isn’t much better, often tasting just like cardboard.



Anneke have you ever thought of adding the grated cheese to the dough before baking your apple pie?

[Anneke]

No I haven't Isa, that sounds BRILLIANT though...
I like the idea of adding flavours to the dough: when I make lemon tarts I like using grated lemon zest in the crust.

[Kimmie]

Cheddar please. No «à la mode» for me, thank you.

Great idea, Isa. Would you use an older Cheddar (30 months)?

[Anneke]

I don't think you'd really taste anything younger than that Kimmie...

[Isa]

I agree, it’s nice to add flavour to the dough. I like to add spices or herbs to the dough using it to enhance the flavour of the filling. Spices will gives the crust a nice colour. Herbs are great, you can play with it, chopping it really fine or leaving it whole.