Nebraska Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9-inch pie plate (glass or ceramic)
• •Rolling pin
• •Pastry blender or two knives
• •Pastry brush
• •Rimmed baking sheet (for drip protection)
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pie dough

   Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold lard and butter cubes. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work the fat into the flour until you have a shaggy mixture with pieces ranging from pea-sized to flat shards the size of your thumbnail. These irregular pieces create layers. Drizzle six tablespoons of ice water over the mixture and toss with a fork until the dough just comes together when pressed. Add more water by the tablespoon only if needed. The dough should hold when squeezed but not feel sticky.

   If substituting all butter for lard, use one cup total. The crust will be delicious but less flaky. Lard makes the tender, shattering crust that Nebraska farm wives prized.
2. 2

   Divide and chill

   Divide the dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other. The larger portion becomes your bottom crust. Flatten each into a thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Cold dough rolls without sticking and relaxed gluten means tender crust. You can make the dough a day ahead.

3. 3

   Prepare the rhubarb

   Trim any leaves from the stalks and discard them. The leaves contain oxalic acid and should never be eaten. Wash the stalks and cut crosswise into half-inch pieces. You want approximately six cups of cut rhubarb. If stalks are thicker than an inch, halve them lengthwise first. The pieces should cook evenly.

4. 4

   Mix the filling

   In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, tapioca, salt, and orange zest. Add the rhubarb pieces and toss thoroughly until every piece is coated. Let the mixture sit for fifteen minutes while you roll the dough. The sugar draws out juice that the flour and tapioca will thicken during baking. Add the vanilla and toss once more.

   Taste your rhubarb before mixing. Early spring stalks are more tart than those harvested in June. Adjust sugar up or down by a quarter cup based on your preference and the tartness of your rhubarb.
5. 5

   Roll the bottom crust

   On a floured surface, roll the larger dough disk into a circle roughly twelve inches across and an eighth-inch thick. Roll from the center outward, rotating the dough a quarter turn after every few strokes to maintain a round shape. Transfer to a nine-inch pie plate by draping the dough over your rolling pin. Ease it into the corners without stretching. Trim overhang to one inch and refrigerate while you prepare the lattice.

6. 6

   Create the lattice strips

   Roll the smaller dough disk into a rectangle roughly eleven by thirteen inches. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut into strips three-quarters of an inch wide. You should have twelve to fourteen strips. Slide the strips onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for ten minutes. Cold strips are easier to weave without tearing.

7. 7

   Fill the pie

   Scrape the rhubarb filling and all its juices into the prepared crust. Mound the fruit higher in the center because it will settle as it bakes. Dot the surface with the cold butter pieces. This enriches the filling as it bubbles.

8. 8

   Weave the lattice

   Lay half the strips parallel across the pie, spacing them evenly. Fold back every other strip halfway. Place a strip perpendicular across the center. Unfold the folded strips over it. Now fold back the strips that weren't folded before and place another perpendicular strip. Continue this pattern, working from center to edges, until the lattice is complete. Trim strips even with the crust overhang. Fold the bottom crust edge up over the lattice ends and crimp decoratively by pressing with a fork or pinching between thumb and finger.

   If your kitchen is warm and the dough becomes soft and sticky, slide the whole pie into the refrigerator for fifteen minutes. Warm dough fights back. Cold dough cooperates.
9. 9

   Finish and chill

   Brush the lattice and crimped edges with egg wash, taking care not to let it pool in the gaps. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over the top. The coarse crystals add crunch and catch the light beautifully. Refrigerate the assembled pie for twenty minutes while you preheat the oven. This firms the butter in the crust for maximum flakiness.

10. 10

    Bake the pie

    Position a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 425°F. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips. Set the pie on the lower rack and bake for twenty minutes. Reduce temperature to 375°F and continue baking thirty to thirty-five minutes more. The crust should be deeply golden and the filling should bubble vigorously through the lattice openings. If edges brown too quickly, tent them loosely with foil for the final fifteen minutes.

11. 11

    Cool completely

    Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool for at least three hours before slicing. I know this requires patience. The filling needs time to set. A warm pie will run all over your plate, and while it still tastes wonderful, it won't slice cleanly. A fully cooled rhubarb pie holds its shape while remaining tender and silky within.

Chef Tips

• •Look for rhubarb stalks that are firm and crisp, not limp or rubbery. Color varies from pale green to deep crimson depending on variety. Red stalks make a prettier pie but taste no different than green. Many Nebraska gardeners grow a mix.
• •Leaf lard, rendered from the fat around a pig's kidneys, produces the flakiest crust. Find it at farmers' markets, butcher shops, or specialty grocers. Standard lard works but lacks the same neutral flavor and fine texture. All-butter crust is a fine substitute if lard troubles you.
• •Rhubarb freezes beautifully. Wash, chop, and freeze in measured portions for pie-making year-round. No need to thaw before using. Add five minutes to the baking time and expect slightly more juice.
• •Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a tradition at Nebraska pie suppers, or with lightly sweetened whipped cream. Some old-timers prefer a wedge of sharp cheddar cheese alongside. Unusual to modern tastes, perhaps, but the combination has its partisans.

Advance Preparation

• •Pie dough can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
• •The assembled unbaked pie can be frozen for up to two months. Do not thaw before baking. Bake directly from frozen at 400°F for twenty minutes, then reduce to 375°F and bake an additional forty to fifty minutes until bubbly.
• •Baked pie keeps at room temperature for one day, loosely covered. Refrigerate for up to four days. Reheat slices briefly in a 350°F oven to restore crust crispness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 310g)