Beef Pot Pie with Lard Crust

Seven weeks and February is almost gone. The calendar page turning to March feels like something this year — not just the passage of time but the arrival of something I've been bracing for since January. March 8th is coming. Two years.

I spent most of Monday and Tuesday on a fence project in the east pasture — a section of the boundary fence that hasn't been fully upgraded since the late nineties and that has been patched and patched and is now reaching the end of patchability. I started pulling the old wooden posts and putting in steel T-posts, one section at a time. It's a two-week project, maybe three, depending on how the ground thaws. I'm doing it alone, systematically, post by post. The physical work is good for the week before March 8th.

I called Gary Monday evening and told him the anniversary was coming. He said he knew — he'd noticed I'd been quieter than usual on our Thursday calls. I said I wasn't sure how to manage it this year. He said, "What did you do last year?" I said, "I drank." He said, "So do something else." I said, "Like what?" He said, "Something you can tell me about after." I said I'd think about it.

I've been writing more for the blog. Not just recipes but something approaching — I don't know what to call it. Reflections. The way cooking outdoors connects to something older. The way a fire at two AM is company. I'm not writing about the war. I'm not writing about Derek. But someone who reads carefully can probably understand what the two-AM fire is for. That's all right. That's as far as I can go right now.

Mom made her beef pot pie Wednesday. The real kind, with a lard crust. I ate two pieces standing at the stove.

Mom didn’t ask what kind of week it had been. She just showed up Wednesday and made the pot pie—the real one, with the lard crust she learned from her mother. I stood at the stove and ate two pieces before I’d even sat down. That’s the recipe I’m putting here. Not because it fixes anything, but because it’s the kind of food that tells you somebody knows what you need before you do.

Prep Time: 45 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

Lard Crust:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold lard, cut into small pieces
6–8 tablespoons ice water
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Filling:

1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

Instructions

Make the crust. Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add cold lard and work it in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until the dough just holds together. Divide into two discs—one slightly larger than the other. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Brown the beef. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Cook the vegetables. In the same pot, add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer vegetables to the plate with the beef.
Build the gravy. Melt butter in the same pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in beef broth and milk, whisking constantly. Add Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 3–4 minutes. Return beef and vegetables to the pot. Stir in frozen peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Assemble the pie. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out the larger disc of dough on a floured surface and fit it into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Pour in the filling. Roll out the second disc and lay it over the top. Trim and crimp the edges to seal. Cut four small slits in the top crust for steam. Brush with beaten egg.
Bake. Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F and bake until the crust is deep golden and the filling is bubbling through the slits, about 35–40 minutes more. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition (per serving)

Beef Pot Pie with Lard Crust — The Real Kind, Standing at the Stove