Lardo – Italian Back Fat

Name: Lardo – Italienischer Rückenspeck
Total time: 30 d
Ingredients: 30 g Nitritpökelsalz (0,4–0,5 % NaNO2); 5 g Schwarzer Pfeffer, grob gemahlen; 3 g Knoblauch, getrocknet; 2 g Rosmarin, getrocknet; 1 g Lorbeerblätter, gemahlen; 0.5 g Nelken, gemahlen; 5 g Zucker

Curing MixPorkCold SmokingMedium30-40 days

Lardo is cured and aged back fat from Italy, prepared without smoking. The fat is rubbed with an aromatic spice mixture and dry-cured for several weeks. The result is a melt-in-your-mouth, flavorful fat of exceptional quality.

Ingredients(for 1 kg)

Curing salt (0.4–0.5% NaNO2)30 g

Black pepper, coarsely ground5 g

Garlic, dried3 g

Rosemary, dried2 g

Bay leaves, ground1 g

Cloves, ground0.5 g

Sugar5 g

Instructions

Preparation

30 minutes

Rinse back fat with cold water and pat dry. Mix all ingredients into a homogeneous curing mixture and massage evenly and firmly into all sides of the piece.

Dry Curing

20-25 days

Vacuum seal the rubbed fat or store in a closed container at 4-6 °C. Turn daily and redistribute the forming brine evenly.

Rinsing and Drying

1-2 days

Remove lardo from brine, briefly rinse under cold water and dry with a clean cloth. Then hang in a cool, well-ventilated place (10-14 °C) until the surface is dry.

Aging

10-15 days

Cover the lardo with fresh rosemary and coarsely ground pepper and age at 10-14 °C and 70-80% humidity. Check regularly for mold – white noble mold is desired, other molds should be removed with 3% vinegar solution.

Pro Tip

After curing, cover the lardo with rosemary and peppercorns and wrap in butcher paper, then age at 10-14 °C for another 2-4 weeks – this significantly intensifies the flavor.

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