Lard is one of the essential ingredients in the crust made by Little Pie Co. of New York City, a celebrated bakery in Midtown Manhattan. (Courtesy Little Pie Co.) ...

Pie crust is a baking fundamental, but it's easy to get wrong. If you're unsatisfied with your pie crust's texture, you ought to consider adding lard to it.

This step is to make sure that the "fat stays intact" and isn't overworked. If you're going for a golden brown crust, then butter is the better option since lard doesn't brown as easily.