A unique Italian specialty, "lardo" is a cured meat made from the layer of fat found directly under the pig's skin. This layer is cut into rectangular pieces and packed into large vats for salting and curing. Various seasonings, which usually include garlic and pepper, are added between each layer and the lardo is left to soak in brine for three months to a year. Lardo can also be smoked, and often includes the strip of lean meat found near the bone. While the name may not sound very appealing to English speakers, lardo makes for a delicious antipasto. It has a very soft texture and a delicate flavor with overtones of whatever herbs and spices it was left to mature in. As an antipasto, lardo is served thinly sliced on dark bread, though it can also be used in cooking, on pasta, as a substitute for pancetta or as an ingredient in stuffings for cuts of meat. |
