AIBU to use lard to make pastry?

[Yambabe]

Just that really. Had teenage Dniece over for a few hours this afternoon while DSIL went shopping, and as I have a glut of eggs at the moment we did a bit of baking and made some savoury and sweet tartlets.

I don't often make my own pastry but today I thought it would be nice for Dniece to see how it's done from scratch so we made it just like my mum taught me to many years ago - 50/50 lard and butter.

Health-conscious DSIL was horrified to hear this when she came to pick Dniece up and was told about what we'd been doing, apparently lard is poison and nobody uses it to cook with these days and we're all going to drop down dead from clogged arteries at any second etc etc. Lectured me for a good few minutes while I just kind of stood there with this face, then wouldn't let Dniece take any of the goodies home with her.

I know lard isn't the healthiest of foodstuffs but as an occasional thing (I probably make my own pastry half a dozen times a year if that!) surely it's not the end of the world?

So WIBU using lard to make pastry (cos it's sooo much nicer and crispy and stuff with it)? None of us are veggie btw so that wasn't the issue.

I'm grinning about it now thinking back but at the time I wasn't so happy and Dniece was a bit miffed that she'd helped make all these nice things then couldn't take any home. DSIL needs to take a chill pill right?

Lard makes excellent pastry. It's not like you're using huge blocks of it morning noon and night. I say YANBU.

Well, actually, there's no link between saturated fat and coronary heart disease, despite what we've been told over the last 30-40 years.

Lard is what pastry was always made with (in conjunction with butter), and it's what makes pastry so lovely and 'short'.

So you are completely and utterly right to be using lard. And YAdefinitelyNBU

Yes she should take a chill pill. Pastry isn't a healthy snack regardless.

I think lard is coming back into 'fashion' again, so maybe sneer at your poor, outmoded sil ?

Doesn't it make sweet stuff taste a bit piggy? I am veggie so I am not going to do a taste test.

Yanbu.
It's no worse than butter and the advice regarding fat is changing anyway.

It doesn't have a taste at all. It's very pure/refined.

It's the way I was taught too.

Better than margarine.

Yanbu - lard pastry is awesome. However, lardy cake is really where it's at.

50/50 lard butter is how pastry should be made.

(A-level cookery grad)

Yep, lard is groovy again, apparently. But I still use all butter in my pastry and it's lush .

I used lard/butter combo to make pastry back in the day.

I use butter alone these days but might re-introduce lard to reduce the amount of butter I use.

Thanks for the head up OP.

That's the way I make pastry, 50% lard and 50% butter. I never use marg or low fat stuff as it doesn't make good pastry.

What would your dsil use instead?

YADefinitelyNBU. That's how you make shortcrust pastry.

She's a doofus. And totally ridiculous not to let your niece have any to take home!

I had a similar conversation with DH las week! I made a crumble. 8oz of flour, 4oz fat made up of half and half butter and lard! That's how I did it at school in about 1980 something!

Didn't seem to bother him, once it was on the table!

Actually, if she wanted to lecture you about health, she should have been having a go about you using flour

I use Trex instead of lard as I don't eat meat but yep, that's what I'd do. You need that much fat whatever form it comes in and if it's solid it's likely to be fairly saturated. I can't believe hydrogenated palm oil is better!
This reminds me of when I was visiting my cousin in the US and I made proper Scottish shortbread with his kids, he was totally appalled at the amount of butter and sugar in it. I was baffled, was he under the impression that the palm oil and corn syrup in the cookies he happily let his kids have was better?!
I've concluded that some people just have no idea what their food is actually made from!

Even Delia uses it. It's hardly unusual.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/pastry/shortcrust-pastry

Boleh I agree, I think plenty of people have no clue about the ingredients

Ooh - talking of which, my DH was appalled when he watched them make jam on tv - he had no idea it was like, 50% sugar?!

What does she think pastry is made of? It's not a health food

Half lard, half butter makes better pastry. Plus her understanding of fats is out of date.

You just eat a small portion and don't eat pastry every day.

Show her this-

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/feb/15/consider-lard

Less saturated fat than butter

Half butter & half lard is how my mum taught me to make pastry, and though I say so myself I make really good pastry - so no, YANBU.

My Auntie taught me to make pasty like this 60 years ago - none of us have dropped dead yet How else do you get proper 'short' pastry..?
And yes, lard is now being touted as the 'new' thing to use for cooking, as it's less processed than many other fats - just as butter is now recognised as being healthier than any spread/margarine
Your SIL needs to keep up...!

You are completely and utterly NU! Best pastry is made with lard and butter. Unless the childs diet is normally 100% completely healthy and free from anything nasty, organic, free range, no additives, nothing shop bought, everything completely home grown, home reared and NOTHING added then she is being massively U!!