Very Superior Suet-Crust

Instructions

1. Strip the skin entirely from some fresh veal or beef kidney-suet.
2. Chop it, and then put it into the mortar, with a small quantity of pure-flavoured lard, oil, or butter, and pound it perfectly smooth.
3. It may then be used for crust in the same way that butter is, in making puff-paste, and in this form will be found a most excellent substitute for it, for hot pies or tarts. It is not quite so good for those which are to be served cold.
4. Eight ounces of suet pounded with two of butter, and worked with the fingers into a pound of flour, will make an exceedingly good short crust; but for a very rich one the proportion must be increased.
5. Proportions: Good short crust: flour, 1 lb.; suet, 8 oz.; butter, 2 oz.; salt, 1/2 teaspoonful. Richer crust: suet, 16 oz.; butter, 4 oz.; flour, 1-1/2 lb.; salt, 1 small teaspoonful.