First, marinate the chicken: Place an extra-large (2-gallon) plastic zipper bag in a large bowl to help support it, then combine the buttermilk, pickle juice, brown sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Hold the top of the bag while you smush and mix the ingredients until well combined.

Drop the chicken pieces into the bag, then smush around the chicken so it's all coated in the buttermilk mixture. Seal the bag and place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or up to 12 hours.

When you're ready to fry, in a shallow dish, mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Remove 1 piece of chicken at a time and dredge it in the flour mixture, pressing hard on all sides to make sure it adheres to the chicken.

Repeat with the rest of the chicken, placing it on a wire rack over a sheet pan. If there are any pieces with bare spots, give them another dredge to make sure everything is well breaded. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 1 hour, so that it loses its chill a bit.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the lard to a shallow cast-iron pan or skillet over medium-high heat and let it melt. Heat it to a temperature of 325°F.

Fry the chicken in batches of 4 or 5 pieces, adjusting the heat to maintain a temperature of 300 to 325°F and turning the pieces as needed so they don't burn. Each batch should take 8 to 10 minutes; lower the heat slightly if the breading appears to be getting too brown too quickly.

Remove the pieces to a rack set over a sheet pan as you cook them. After you're done, check one of the larger pieces and see if there is any visible pink. If so, or if you want to make sure all the chicken is hot for serving, put the pan in the oven and bake the chicken for 10 minutes more, until the meat is cooked through. Serve with biscuits, butter, and honey if you want!