SAVE YOUR FORK THERE'S PIE RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Sprinkle half of the butter and lard over the flour and use your fingertips, a pastry blender, or two knives to cut and mix until the mixture resembles large peas. Sprinkle in the remaining butter and lard and cut and mix to coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the dough with ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and use a fork to lightly mix until the dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the ball in half. Press into two 1-inch-thick discs and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling, or freeze for later use.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 12 inches in diameter. Drape the dough over the rolling pin or fold it into quarters and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Press the pastry evenly into the pan, without stretching to fit. Trim the edges and crimp decoratively, as desired. Prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Line the pie shell with the paper. Pour in pie weights, uncooked rice, or dried beans to cover the bottom and sides of the crust. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake the crust 5 minutes longer for a partially baked crust, or 10 minutes longer for a fully baked crust, until it looks dry and crisp.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the piecrust into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate (no more than 1 ¼" deep). Tuck the edges under and crimp as desired. Freeze for 20 minutes. Prick the bottom of the crust 8-10 times, all over, with a fork.  Line the frozen piecrust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes just until the edges of the crust are dry. Carefully remove the paper with weights. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes until the bottom of the crust is dry and the edges just start to turn light brown. Let cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Place the melted butter and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the eggs, then the cornmeal and flour. Add the milk, lemon juice, vanilla extract and pinch of salt and mix to combine. Carefully pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the edges and center of pie are set completely.  (Tent the pie with foil towards the end if either the crust or surface of the pie look darker than golden brown). Let the pie cool completely, about 2 hours. Garnish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, if desired.