I have been wanting to do this forever. Bacon fat pie crust!!! What could be more perfect for a lady that loves bacon and is lactose intolerant? NOTHING

At first, I wasn't sure bacon fat pie crust should work. I actually thought I was the first person that ever had the idea, until I googled it and became very sad. But oh well! This is my take on it.

While it is super delicious and flaky, bacon fat pie crust is not the prettiest, nor is it the most sturdy. So let's call it "charmingly rustic" instead. :D So just be prepared. It will act as a vehicle to get pie fillings into your mouth and that's all you can really ask for.

Step 1: What You'll Need

This is the Joy of Cooking pie crust recipe, altered with bacon fat instead of butter. :) However, the chilling times and prep are slightly different - we'll talk about those on the next step.

Ingredients:

1 cup bacon fat, frozen
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon salt (optional - bacon can be really salty!)
6 tablespoons ice water + more as needed

Tools Needed:

wax paper or freezer paper
a pastry cutter, chilled
a large chilled glass or metal bowl
spatula or wooden spoon - nothing netal

Step 2: Prep Work

The day before you'd like to make it, measure out your cup of bacon fat and roll it up into a log using wax or freezer paper.

Get out the bowl you'd like to mix it in, as well as your pastry cutter.

Pop all three in the freezer.

Step 3: Part One

Mix together the flour and salt (if using) in the chilled bowl.

Cut the bacon fat log into halves, and cut one of the halves into chunks. Place the chunks into the bowl and cut them into the flour using the pastry cutter. Keep cutting until it's the consistency of crumbs, pictured below.

Step 4: Part Two

Cut the other half of the bacon fat log into chunks, and add those into the bowl.

Being combining it with the pastry cutter. Keep going until you are left with nothing larger than a pea sized chunk. :)

Step 5: Adding the Water

Add six tablespoons of ice water to the bacon fat/flour mix. Mix well until the dough starts to hold together.

If your dough is still pretty crumbly, add a little more water - no more than 1/2 tablespoon at a time - until it holds together.

Try to avoid using your hands during this part until the very end. The heat from your hands will melt the fat. :)

Step 6: Wrap and Chill

Divide the dough into two equal-ish halves and shape into disks. Place each piece on a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly.

Once they're wrapped, pop them in the fridge. They'll need to rest chill for a few hours at the least - I did mine for almost a full 24 hours.

Step 7: Roll OUT!

Before you try to roll out the pie crust, make sure to let it sit on the countertop for 15-20 minutes to take the chill off. Otherwise it's liable to crack.

Roll it out by leaving in on the plastic wrap and dusting the top and your rolling pin with flour. Roll it out until it's thin and just a bit bigger than your pie pan - you can just put the pie pan on it to test it. :D

Step 8: Place It in the Pie Pan

I use the plastic wrap to help transfer it. :)

After flipping it, and with the plastic wrap still on top of it, push it down into the pie pan. Peel off the plastic wrap.

Trim the edges of the crust off, press the edges with a fork and prick the pie crust all over. This is how I "blind bake" things. You might not end up with the most perfect crust, but they always turn out well for me.

Step 9: Baking!

Bake at 425 F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Both crusts I made I baked around 20 minutes, but one of mine got a little overdone because I wandered off. :P

Step 10: Filling!

I'm using the filling for my family's chocolate cream pie here. It's the best pie out there, and I figured the chocolate would go well with the crust.

Make sure your pie crust is cool before you fill it!

Once the filling is done (I have to wait forever for mine to chill!) you're ready to experience bacon fat pie crust! :D