Finally baked with beef tallow instead of butter and my pie crust came out better

I kept hearing people rave about using beef tallow for pie crusts on a homesteading forum I lurk on. So last Sunday I grabbed a tub at the farmer's market in Eugene and subbed it one for one in my go to apple pie recipe. The dough handled way differently, flaked apart like nothing I have seen before. My grandma always said butter is the only way and I believed her for 30 years. The crust came out golden and almost crispy on the bottom, not greasy at all. It gave the pie a tiny savory edge that paired perfect with the cinnamon apples. Now I am wondering if lard would give a similar result or if tallow is the real secret here. Has anyone else swapped fats for pastry and got a surprise like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo_schmidt25d ago

Had a buddy in Portland who swore by lard for his tortillas and tried it in a pie crust once. Said it came out light and flaky but not quite as savory as tallow.

the_anthony25d ago

Yeah, I used to think lard was the only way to go, but @hugo_schmidt your buddy's take on tallow actually makes a lot of sense.