Pork can be a staple food items of the mountain locations of northern Italy, wherever it’s generally reported that a effectively butchered pig need to go away ‘almost nothing nevertheless the oink’ powering. For a pig is usually about 30% Fats, thrifty locals had to come up with a means to use and maintain this important source of protein, and the result is Lardo.
Lardo di Colonnata, to give it its total name, is a delicacy produced from pork Excess fat in and throughout the Tuscan mountain city of Colonnata. Happily for lovers of cured meat, it’s don't just a frugal technique for preserving pork fat about Winter season – it’s scrumptious too!
It’s manufactured in big vats referred to as conche, fashioned from marble quarried on the close by ‘white mountain’ of Cararra, that happen to be initial liberally rubbed with garlic. Future, levels of pork Extra fat, salt, along with a Exclusive combination of herbs and spices are extra right until the vats are comprehensive. The conche are organic then sealed by using a wood lid and left in interesting mountain caves for 6 months or for a longer time to mature in the clean up air.
After the maturation time is over, the conche are opened to expose a silky-easy, meltingly tender ‘meat’ which can be eaten in A lot precisely the same way as Parma Ham or other prosciutto.
Though Lardo is frequently used to retain roasted meats moist by positioning a skinny layer above the pores and skin, It is additionally scrumptious basically sliced thinly and eaten with bread, olives, and a superb added virgin olive oil as Element of an antipasto training course. It is actually not at all tough or greasy, which is nicely well worth striving regardless of whether the idea of having pure fat leaves you just a little apprehensive!
Regardless of the extended yrs of constructing Lardo in the standard way, a lot of the illustrations you may uncover in your local deli or retail store could have been made in a much more industrial location, mainly on account of present day hygiene legislation taking priority more than customs and heritage. Absent would be the marble conche along with the mountain air, replaced by stainless steel and air-con.
Having said that, visitors to the region all-around Colonnata should still be Blessed and obtain hold of Lardo created in the previous way which has been proven more than the hundreds of years – just don’t convey to the authorities if you do!