Best Apple Pie in the World

Everyone know that the best pie crust contains lard.  Disgusting?  Well, yes, but a lot of really good things are disgusting.  You know, like vegetables grow in DIRT and those fish that you eat have been swimming around in the same water with other unpleasant things.  But they sure taste good!

 Here's a photo of Max, my oldest son (he's in college at Evergreen)  making one of his great pies. This one happens to be apple pie.   Best Lard crust recipe ever:

1 and 1/2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup LARD
3-4 tablespoons cold water

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in water, a tablespoon at a time, until pastry holds together. Shape into a ball; chill for 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Transfer to a 10-in. pie plate. Flute edges; fill and bake with the apples (below)  If you want a top or to lattice the crust like this photo, you'll need to double the recipe.

Filling

1/3

to 1/2 cup sugar

1/4

cup all-purpose flour

1/2

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2

teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8

teaspoon salt

8

cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (8 medium)

2

tablespoons butter or margarine

In large bowl, mix sugar, 1/4 cup flour, the cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir in apples until well mixed. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over filling. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of plate.

Roll other round of pastry into 10-inch round. Fold into fourths and cut slits so steam can escape. Unfold top pastry over filling; trim overhanging edge 1 inch from rim of plate. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal; flute as desired. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes at 425 degrees or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Serve warm if desired.

YUM!!!