The holiday season is here, so you're probably planning out which pies to make. If you're new to pie making, then you may be wondering which is better to use in your pie crusts — butter or lard, the latter of which is another type of fat . To settle the debate, Daily Meal spoke with an expert: Meghan Brophy, the Executive Pastry Chef at Pastis Miami .
Brophy explained, "Both butter and lard have their advantages when making pie crust. Butter will produce a better overall flavor and has a higher water content, providing steam, which can aid in producing a flaky crust. Lard has a higher melting point than butter making it easier to handle and lessens the possibility of overworking the dough.
" The best solution? Use both. Brophy says she prefers to use a combination because it results in a pie crust that benefits both the butter's flavor and the lard's flaky tenderness. Daily Meal's recipe for our favorite pie crust uses a combination of butter and vegetable shortening, but try out the butter-lard combination, you can swap out the shortening for lard with a one-to-one ratio.
What to know about working with lard versus butter Whether you're choosing to work with just one or you're taking Meghan Brophy's advice of using both, there are some things you should keep in mind when making your pie crust — such as how the two fats work differently. Brophy explains, "Lard-based dough will be more pliable due to the softer nature of the fat. This will make the dough less susceptible to.
