Food - Drink
Why You Should Consider Adding Suet To Your Next Pie Crust
By JEN PENG
Whether your home-baked pie is filled with apples, pumpkin, or pecans, a flaky and tender crust is what really makes the dessert the best it can be. A pie crust made with butter is simple and traditional, but if you really feel like going all-out for your Thanksgiving pie, try using suet in your crust and you'll probably never go back.
Suet is animal fat — usually from cows — found around the kidneys, and it has a dry, solid, and crumbly texture that makes for a lighter, flakier, less greasy pie crust. Suet has a high melting point that makes dough easier to work with, since the fat won't melt from the heat of your hands, nor will it turn greasy and waxy at room temperature.
Lard is another type of animal fat that is often used in pastries, but suet has a milder, less savory taste and a reliably solid texture that makes it more versatile. Suet alone works great in crusts for savory pies, but for sweet pies, try using a mix of suet and butter for a dough that is easier to work with, but won't have any "off" flavors.