Dough for One-Crust Pie

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Toss the flour and salt into the workbowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes and sprinkle them over the flour in the workbowl. Add the lard in 2 or 3 pieces. Process with 15 rapid on-off pulses or just til the biggest lumps of flour-covered fat are no bigger than a few small peas. Add 3 tablespoons of ice water through the feed tube and pulse 5 times. Feel the dough and makesure it’s just damp enough to hold together when you squeeze a bit in your hand. If not, add the last tablespoon of water and pulse 5 more times. The dough will be loose and ragged (don’t overprocess it into a ball).

   Step 2

   Dump the dough out onto a work surface. Push the dough with the heel of your hand 2 or 3 times to flatten out some of the lumps of fat. Then gather the dough into a ball. Flour the work surface and roll the dough out with a floured rolling pin into a circle 12 1/2 inches in diameter. Fold the dough in half and put it into a 9-inch pie pan. Unfold it and press it into the pan, trimming the edges if you need to. Roll the edge under and shape a high fluted edge all around. Toss the finished pie shell into the freezer to chill while making the filling.