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?

3 comments

3 Comments

hugo_schmidt2mo 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.

linda5001mo ago

Yeah, that "light and flaky" part is key though. I made pie crust with leaf lard once and it was almost TOO tender, like it practically dissolved on your tongue. But I bet tallow gives it more structure for something like a savory hand pie or empanada where you need the crust to hold up to a wet filling. Lard is great but tallow really does bring that extra MEATY flavor that sets it apart, especially if you render it yourself from beef fat.

the_anthony2mo 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.