1. Preheat the oven to 425°F
2. Grease and flour a 9" pie pan.
PIE CRUST
1. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add cold lard or shortening. Work the dough with your fingers until it reaches the consistency of small peas - tiny pellets of lard and flour.
3. Begin adding water to the mix, one tablespoon at a time. Continue to work the flour and lard by hand until it becomes a smooth dough. It should be fairly dry to the touch - not wet and sticky, but able to form a ball.
4. Form the dough into a ball and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and press it flat in the middle of a pastry cloth over a board or a floured table or countertop.
6. Roll the crust until thin. Thinner is better, but don't make it so thin that you can't remove it from the rolling surface without tearing it. Keep the shape as round as you can by alternating the direction of the rolling pin.
7. Fold the dough in half and drape it over half the prepared pie pan. Unfold to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Trim the edges so that the crust ends at the edge of the pie pan. You can use a knife to trim or press the edges with your fingers and break off the excess for a scalloped edge.
8. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool before filling.
9. After removing pie crust from the oven, reduce the heat to 350°F so it will be cooled to the right temperature when you are ready to bake the pie.
PIE FILLING
1. Whisk water, sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice and lemon zest together in a thick bottomed sauced pan. Make sure any flour or cornstarch lumps are stirred until they dissolve.
2. Cook over medium heat until mixture starts to simmer, stirring constantly.
3. Add butter and continue to stir until melted.
4. Beat egg yolks in a small bowl. Add about 1/2 cup of hot lemon mixture into eggs and stir well. This way the egg yolks won't turn to scrambled eggs when you add them to the simmering lemon mixture.
5. Pour the prepared egg mixture into your pan of simmering lemon mixture. Stir until completely mixed.
6. Continue simmering the lemon filling for about 2 more minutes until the mixture thickens. It's very important to keep stirring the pot constantly to prevent your filling from forming lumps or burning.
7. When thick, pour into the cooled pie shell and allow the filling to cool.
MERINGUE
1 Place 4 egg whites in mixer and beat at high speed until they start to foam or beat with an egg beater until foamy.
2. Continue to beat while adding sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat about 30 seconds between spoonfuls of sugar.
3. Continue to beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks and there is no liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
4. Using a rubber spatula, spread the meringue over the cooled pie filling.
5. Spread the meringue over the edges of the pie crust to completely seal in the lemon pie filling.
6. To form those pretty peaks in your meringue touch the flat side of the spatula to the meringue and pull away. Repeat the touch and pull away over entire surface of meringue.
7. Place pie in 350°F oven for 15-minutes until the tip points of the meringue are lightly browned.
8. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
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1 cup of flour
