Lard not only has high shortening power but also just the right physical properties (called

plasticity and dispersability by food scientists) to produce the most flaky pastries. But you cannot

use just any kind of lard. Which part of the pig it comes from, or even from which part of a single

layer it is taken, determines the type. The ideal lard for pies is leaf lard, a layered fat located around

the pig's kidneys. It has a crystalline structure that readily forms tiny layers in the pastry, resulting in

flakiness that a top pastry chef can be proud of.

When bakers, both commercial and at home used lard extensively for biscuits and pastries in

the past, leaf lard was readily available. Concerns about fats and cholesterol in modern times has

changed all that, and these days you would be hard put to get leaf lard even from a good butcher.

Slaughterhouses no longer separate fats from various parts of the pig; there is not enough demand

for leaf lard. The lard that is available in retail markets is a rendered fat that may be from any part of

the animal. It is a refined, emulsified, hydrogenated all-purpose product meant mostly for frying.

Though not ideal, this lard still makes good flaky pastry.

TASTINGS Lower-fat pie crust

The total fat in a pie crust ranges from 30 to 35 percent. Tart pastry is richer with

35 to 40 percent. For a single-crust pie with seven average servings, this translates

to 1¾ tablespoons fat per serving; a double crust pie contains nearly twice as

much fat. If this concerns you, you can reduce the fat in your dough to 25 percent

without very much affecting flavor and flakiness. Using 2½ ounces (70 g) of fat

for every cup of flour gives you about 25 percent. You can also use a smaller

amount of dough that you roll out very thin so there's less dough per serving. On

the other hand, if you make a good crust, it is very much an essential part of the

total flavor, and you don't want to skimp on it.

You can choose butter, margarine, vegetable shortening, oil or a combination of any two,

instead of using straight lard. Which one you choose depends on your personal health concerns,

your budget and your taste preference. To choose the best for yourself, I recommend you

experiment one nice day when you feel like undertaking an hour's worth of dough preparation.

Make a number of pie doughs with different fats and different combinations of fats, bake them

identically in little tart pans and let your taste buds decide the winner. It is not only the flavor that

counts. You also need to judge the texture and flakiness.

Lard makes very flaky, truly melt-in-the-mouth crusts. Pure butter makes mealier, not-so-

flaky crusts that have a wonderful buttery flavor. For French-style tart pastry the traditional fat is

butter. In spite of the French tradition of butter or nothing, pure butter doesn't make the best crust

for most American palates. Vegetable shortening and margarine crusts are fairly flaky without much

flavor. An oil crust is tender but crumbly, not a true pie crust. Most American palates prefer half

lard and half butter or half vegetable shortening and half butter. Both of these combinations produce

flaky crusts with a pleasant, buttery flavor.

Other points to observe

The water you add to the dough must be cold. If your tap water is really cold, use it. If not,

use refrigerated or iced water. Why is that so important? Cold water keeps the fat from softening.

As long as the fat remains hard, the fat particles will stay discrete and not clump together or

homogenize. The more discrete they are, the flakier the pastry will be. That is why you also chill the

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