Step 1

Add the flour, salt, and sugar to a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine.

Step 2

Prepare a bowl of ice water by pouring 1 ½ cups of cool water into a bowl filled with ice cubes. Set aside.

Step 3

Add the cold lard cubes and the cold butter cubes to the bowl of flour and salt.

Step 4

Use a pastry cutter to cut the fat into the flour, blending until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Step 5

Once the mixture has even, pea-sized crumbs (or smaller), begin adding the ice water a few tablespoons at a time. Start with 4 tablespoons, and mix gently with a silicone spatula.

Step 6

Add the ice water 1-2 tablespoons at a time, and gently mix, until the dough comes together in a mostly solid mass.

Step 7

Use your hands to bring the dough together, and mold it into a large disc or ball.

Step 8

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, but overnight is preferable.

Step 9

When you’re ready to roll the dough out, cut the dough in half and roll it into a circle on a lightly floured surface.

Step 10

Fit the dough into a pie plate, tucking the edges under and fluting the edges for decoration. Pierce the bottom and sides of the crust with the tines of a fork.

Step 11

Fill the pie or blind bake, according to your recipe instructions.