Snake River Farms Beef Tallow Pie Crust for Savory and Sweet Pies

How to Make Snake River Farms Beef Tallow Pie Crust for Savory and Sweet Pies

1. 1

   Step 1: Combine dry ingredients and cut in tallow

   In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and granulated sugar. Add chilled Snake River Farms Beef Tallow in tablespoons or small chunks and use a pastry cutter, two knives, or a food processor to cut it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.

   For this step

   • 2 1/2 cupsAll-purpose flour
   • 3/4 cupSnake River Farms Beef Tallow
   • 1 tspKosher salt
   • 1 tbspGranulated sugar
   
2. 2

   Step 2: Control temperature and size of fat pieces

   Keep everything cold — if the tallow softens, chill the bowl for 10 minutes. Aim for a mix of fine crumbs and visible pea-sized bits of tallow; those pieces melt during baking and create pockets that make the crust flaky.
   
3. 3

   Step 3: Add acid and ice water, bring dough together

   Sprinkle the apple cider vinegar over the flour-tallow mixture and add ice water one tablespoon at a time, gently tossing with a fork until the dough just holds when pinched (you should have a shaggy, slightly moist dough). Avoid overworking — stop once the dough forms larger clumps and can be gathered.

   For this step

   • 6 tbspIce water
   • 1 tbspApple cider vinegar
   
4. 4

   Step 4: Form, chill, and optionally laminate

   Divide the dough into two disks (for a double-crust) or one disk for a single; wrap tightly and chill at least 1 hour (or 30 minutes in a very cold fridge). For added flakiness, roll each disk into a rectangle, fold like a letter 2–3 times, rotate 90°, roll again briefly, then chill 15 minutes before final rolling.
   
5. 5

   Step 5: Roll, fit, chill, and blind-bake if needed

   On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 12-inch circle and fit into a 9-inch pie pan; trim and flute the edges. Chill the lined pan 15 minutes, then for blind-baking: preheat oven to 375°F (190°C), line with parchment and pie weights, bake 12–15 minutes until set. For filled pies, fill and bake according to your recipe; brush with a beaten egg wash for a golden finish before baking when appropriate.

   For this step

   • 1 largeLarge egg (for egg wash, optional)
   
6. 6

   Step 6: Storage and tips for sweet vs. savory

   Use this crust for savory fillings (meat pies, quiches) where the beefy depth complements the filling, or for fruit pies where the extra richness balances tartness. Dough freezes well wrapped up to 1 month — thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.
   

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and granulated sugar. Add chilled Snake River Farms Beef Tallow in tablespoons or small chunks and use a pastry cutter, two knives, or a food processor to cut it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
2. Keep everything cold — if the tallow softens, chill the bowl for 10 minutes. Aim for a mix of fine crumbs and visible pea-sized bits of tallow; those pieces melt during baking and create pockets that make the crust flaky.
3. Sprinkle the apple cider vinegar over the flour-tallow mixture and add ice water one tablespoon at a time, gently tossing with a fork until the dough just holds when pinched (you should have a shaggy, slightly moist dough). Avoid overworking — stop once the dough forms larger clumps and can be gathered.
4. Divide the dough into two disks (for a double-crust) or one disk for a single; wrap tightly and chill at least 1 hour (or 30 minutes in a very cold fridge). For added flakiness, roll each disk into a rectangle, fold like a letter 2–3 times, rotate 90°, roll again briefly, then chill 15 minutes before final rolling.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 12-inch circle and fit into a 9-inch pie pan; trim and flute the edges. Chill the lined pan 15 minutes, then for blind-baking: preheat oven to 375°F (190°C), line with parchment and pie weights, bake 12–15 minutes until set. For filled pies, fill and bake according to your recipe; brush with a beaten egg wash for a golden finish before baking when appropriate.
6. Use this crust for savory fillings (meat pies, quiches) where the beefy depth complements the filling, or for fruit pies where the extra richness balances tartness. Dough freezes well wrapped up to 1 month — thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.