Ironically, around my way I have the hipsters to thank for access to ham hock, pig feet, weird organ meats, etc., because the area is full of crunchy-granola small-time farmers and they sell every damn cut through the farmer's markets and the local hippie grocery co-op.
And lard. Lard is crucial to the scheme.
No, AnOnimous is right, lard is the best for pie crust. Butter doesn't get the right flakiness to it like lard
I've made attempts to cook Cajun with margerine to accommodate my wife's weight loss goals, but good God Almighty is it hard to make it work. Stick margerine tends to work better for rouxing than spreads, oils seem to work adequately as well. Butter and lard work best, but diets are cruel mistresses and inferior Cajun is better than no Cajun. By the by, the Cajun mirepoix of celery, onion, and green bell pepper can have the pepper substituted for more interesting flavors like jalapeno or poblano if you want the dish to be spicier/smokier respectively. I almost prefer jalapeno mirepoix to its bell pepper cousin for red beans. Be sure to deseed your jalapenos if you try this or all you'll taste is capsaicin.
Lard is essential. Praise the pig. I do love a good butter, though. The thing is that there several different uses for all they types of oil and butters. As far as Crisco goes, it doesn't come into this house and I'm southern to the core. Lard, yes gawd. It's good to use in moderation for the purpose you mentioned or any other flaky pastry. I've seen folks use it in biscuits, but I prefer ice cold butter for that. Olive oil is one of my personal preferred oils because I like its taste, but the smoke point is far too low for some things so you have to go old school with the peanut oil or canola. Some of these oils they're coming out with just seem substandard. Grapeseed oil is good, but has a lower smoking point than olive oil. I use ghee quite a bit, but it has it's own unique flavor. Great, now I've gone fully oil and fat autistic.
Lard is also baller for french fries too. It's why McDonald's used to use it.
I'll have to try those, I fuckin love biscuits so much.
Damn, I thought they used beef tallow. Still a solid choice. Amazing with Yorkshire puddings along with duck fat. I must be getting that holidays feeling.
Beef dripping is used by a vanishingly small number of British chippies, I think Whitby might be their last bastion. Whitby: come for the fish and chips, stay for the rampant vampirism.
