Dewberries, a tart relative to blackberries, grow wild in the South. This season I harvested a small bowl’s worth and plan on incorporating them into a sweet, rich galette.

Galettes are similar to pies, but way less fussy. The dough is rolled out into a free form, filled with wild dewberries and served with a scoop of sweetcorn ice cream. It’s my go-to dessert for backyard BBQs.

For this recipe, I used my last bit of hog lard left for the pie crust. Using wild fat makes the galette savory and extra flaky.

Up until the early 20th century, pastries were made using a blend of lard and butter. Shortening was invented and used as an alternative to animal fat because it was cheaper to produce. The consistency of hydrogenated vegetable oils proved to be more forgiving than lard because of its softness, and it has since been adopted by many. However, nothing beats the flavor and texture of pie dough made with ingredients from an animal you shot, butchered and prepared.

Making pie dough from tallow or lard is more challenging because it’s hard and brittle at room temperature. With some patience and practice, though, you can successfully cut it into the dough. When the crust is rolled out, you should be able to see small flecks of lard scattered across it. While the galette cooks at high heat, the fat melts and leaves pockets between the layers. This results in a tender, flaky texture, and makes every scratch that I got while picking these worth it.