Make A Smokier Pecan Pie With One Bold Ingredient

If you're celebrating Thanksgiving this year, there's a solid chance that pie is on the upcoming menu. While pumpkin has been known to reign as the king of Thanksgiving pies, the abundance of pecan lovers in the U.S. has made pecan pie another popular variety for holiday gatherings. According to a 2020 YouGov America survey, not only did one-third of the participants plan to make some of their Thanksgiving pies homemade, but pecan pie ranked second as the most loved variety to enjoy on the last Thursday of the month.

American Pecan Council claims that pecans are America's one and only native nut. Their heritage links all the way back to Indigenous tribes harvesting wild pecans for sustenance thousands of years ago. Since 80% of the globe's pecans come from America, per American Pecan Council, Millican Pecan claims that pecan trees are typically harvested between October and December, a seasonally appropriate pie celebrating one of our nation's native foods makes perfect sense.

If you want to make traditional Thanksgiving pies, Culture Trip adds that the most classic pecan pie ingredients are eggs, butter, nuts, sugar, and some kind of binding syrup. No one can argue over a traditional classic, but there is one ingredient you may want to add to this year's pie that could only elevate this culturally rich Thanksgiving staple.

If you want to add a little something extra to enhance this holiday's pecan pie, bacon fat might be your answer. While pork drippings may seem like the odd antidote to a top-notch pie, The Food Historian claims this animal fat has been used since the early 1900s in kitchens across the nation. Animal fats have gone through ups and downs in popularity since the beginning of the 20th century, but based on a 2021 survey from Coast, more Americans are favoring the use of animal fats in their diets, with some standing behind their supposed health benefits in opposition to vegetable fats, per QSR.

Animal fats may or may not be better for you, but the addition of bacon fat can elevate the flavor of a classic Thanksgiving pecan pie in one of two ways. Food Network works bacon fat into the crust of their traditional recipe, yet MasterClass suggests adding bacon grease to the filling of their pecan tartlets. You may not be ready to commit to dressing all your food in bacon and bacon fat, but the addition of pork drippings to pecan pie filling enhances the overall flavor, offering a savory essence to counterbalance the sweetness of sugary pecans, per MasterClass. If you're not fully convinced about using bacon grease in this year's Thanksgiving pie, there are other ingredients you can try instead.

American Pecan Council claims that pecans are slightly sweet and have a distinct creaminess that's almost buttery in flavor. When considering ways to enhance a classic pecan pie, American Pecan Council recommends pairing the classic variety with dried apricots and cherries, or you can take a note from MasterClass and incorporate cranberries, fresh or dried.

Chocolate and nuts are a harmonious combination, and The Pioneer Woman offers a fun twist on the holiday classic by incorporating dark chocolate chips and cocoa powder to offer an unexpected flavor component to contrast sweet pecans. When it comes to the variability of wet components, Martha Stewart adds bourbon and browned butter to her standard pecan pie recipe to offer a somewhat tangy yet distinct flavor profile.

If these suggestions still sound too daring for your taste, MasterClass notes a simple sprinkling of flaky salt atop your traditional pie will offer just the right balance of sweet and salty flavors. Upon celebrating Thanksgiving this year, if you decide to venture into making your own pecan pie, consider raising the bar and adding an unexpected flavor variation to enhance the smooth taste of America's pecans.