Lard

What is Lardo

The lard is a pork butchery product obtained exclusively from the processing of heavy pork (Sus scrofa domesticus greased); this pork derivative is therefore the result of the manipulation and aging processes of fresh meat, which is why it falls within the group of salted preserved meats (cured meats).

Lard is made up of the subcutaneous fatty tissue of the pig; in short, this is cut, possibly skinned, salted, spiced and seasoned in special "basins" (or tubs). The cuts of the animal that lend themselves to the production of lard are those that start from retro-occipital area (behind the head) to the end of the croup (lumbar region and buttocks); in this case: lard and lard (so defined for the relative purpose) and generally the hard back. In the production of lard the cheeks are therefore excluded (used for the jowls) and the belly (used for the bacon). The perirenal fat does NOT lend itself to the lard and is used in the extraction of lard from lard. Also some parts of the hard back, being less valuable than the cuts of lard and lard, are sometimes used for the production of cracklings and lard.
The good quality lard is marketed in pieces weighing from 250g up to 5.0kg, with a thickness NEVER less than 3.0cm. It has the shape of a flattened parallelepiped, possibly covered by the rind on one side and by the spiced salt on the other; in the part exposed to the cut, before the vacuum packaging aimed at being put on the market, a synthetic protective tissue is applied.

NB. Lard is a food subjected to a strong peroxidative deterioration, as it contains high quantities of saturated fats (unsuitable for storage but useful in cooking) and very few antioxidants; therefore, by keeping the lard for too long and subjecting it to thermal changes, to air and light, the rancidity process of the surface layer is significantly accelerated.