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?

[supersoftcuddlytoys]

Yes it can be. I should have said, chill everything as often as you can, including rubbing some ice cubes on your hands. Worth it though I think. I'm going to ask the posh Butchers near me, if he can sell me some beef fat. My friend says you can melt it down very slowly and reuse...Mmmm beef fat - Homer slobber!!!!!

[FurryLittleTwerp]

supersoft I like to use duck & goose fat for pastry (half & half with butter usually) - very soft & messy & difficult to work with though, I find

[londonrach]

Mycrane...me too on the potatoes... Its something i knew nothing about so have Shakespeare to thank for this!!

[supersoftcuddlytoys]

Oh so no YANBU at all.... Enjoy

[Plaintalkin]

Latest thinking backed up by science I believe

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3176558/It-s-healthier-cook-LARD-sunflower-oil-Extraordinary-experiment-shows-ve-told-cooking-oils-wrong.html

[supersoftcuddlytoys]

A friend brought me some tins Duck Confit from France. Delish, it lasted about a week in the larder. I saved the fat (lots of it) and I've been frying and roasting, everything in it since. I've also been making my pastry from it too. It's fabulously tasty for quiche.

[EveryoneElsie]

Lard is ok for savoury pastry. But I wouldnt use it for sweet as its too heavy.
Your DSIL was daft to wig out and ban it from the house.

[Mycraneisfixed]

I'm too lazy to make pastry from scratch but I bought lard recently for the first time in years and used it to roast potatoes. Absolutely yummy! As roasties should taste

[RortyCrankle]

Your SIL i a fool - 50/50 lard/butter makes the very best pastry - yum.

[londonrach]

Hood..good

[londonrach]

Best way of making pastry and hood for your hands too. Go to anne hatterway cottage in stratford and they tell you all about pastry with lard!

[amarmai]

Yy that's how to make flakey pastry for meat pies. is suet coming back too, for steamed puds?

[TattyDevine]

Lard is less of a saturated fat than butter (source: Nigella Lawson how to be a domestic goddess - presumably her researchers know what they are talking about)

[Trills]

Bought pastry often says "all butter".

I assume that is meant to distinguish it from stuff that uses margarine.

But it could be possible to read it and think "if they are boasting about all butter then all butter must be better than butter and lard".

[ForHarry]

Improves of course.

My tablet has a very irritating g sense of independence.

Like when it adds that extra g..

[ForHarry]

Butter good for flavour, lard I proves texture and handling ability according to my granny, a pastry cook by trade.

[ForHarry]

Half butter half lard agreed.

Lard is groovy again - this made me smile but it is true, along with boiling up bones!

[QueenStreaky]

I guess it's all a matter of personal taste. I used to make 50:50 because that's how I was taught, but one day I made it with all butter because I'd run out of lard and it was infinitely better (to my taste, anyway), and I've done it that way ever since. My pastry is always praised so it must be ok I suppose. Each to their own, eh?

[Trills]

Oh I know it's not hard to keep but I'd have to think of it while in a shop that sells it - it never seems to come to mind.

[mateysmum]

I don't know where you live blu that it's hard to get lard. Lidl has it by the ton and all the supermarkets stock it.

I nearly always use 50:50 lard to butter, only use all butter for a rich sweet pastry where you want a different texture and a little more sweetness.

Your SIL is not only being totally U, she's also really rather ignorant - yeah of course prepared bought pastry mix is healthier than lard!?

[LittleBearPad]

Yanbu. I remember my DGM making pastry with lard. It was gorgeous. If you have any custard tarts left I'm happy to help you out

[BarbaraofSeville]

Lard lasts for months, if not years Trills and it's very cheap.

I have a pack of beef dripping, that I assume would behave the same way. I think I bought it to make roast potatoes on Christmas Day 2014 and it's still totally fine in the fridge - we only have roast dinners every couple of months or so.

People who still think saturated fat bad/weirdy low fat shit good and don't realise that it's sugar and refined carbohydrates that's the real baddy are a bit dim really. The packet pastry mix was probably full of all kinds of rubbish.

[Crinkle77]

Err doesn't everyone use lard?

[Trills]

I don't use lard because I'd then have to keep lard in.

Agree that being afraid of real fat is very out of fashion.

[tibbawyrots]

It's worth making your own, definitely. I made Cornish pasties yesterday and they're sitting there calling my name. I think that 10.25am is a bit early for lunch though 😂

The only pastry I buy ready made is flaky or puff as even Mary Berry says that she buys hers ready made! What's good enough for Mary Berry...