Lardo di Colonnata IGP

Description

Our Lardo di Colonnata IGP

A forgotten product, now rediscovered and valued as one of the finest and most delicate cured meats made from pork. Lardo is taken from the layer of fat along the pig's back, cut where it meets the belly and cleaned of the softest, greasiest part. These large slabs of lardo are carefully trimmed and processed in a special way, the fruit of ancient tradition and centuries of experience. Within a few hours of slaughter, with no time in the fridge, they are placed in a basin carved from a block of marble [the conca]: first the basins are vigorously rubbed with garlic and herbs (the 'camicia'), then the first piece of lardo is laid on the bottom on a layer of natural coarse sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, fresh peeled garlic, rosemary and chopped sage. The basin is then filled in layers, always alternating lardo with salt and herbs, and closed with a marble slab. The lardo stays in the basin for at least six months, the essential ageing period. At the end, the lardo comes out dried by the salt, fragrant and flavoured by the herbs. With the rind removed, it is cut into thin slices and served as a starter or as an accompaniment to certain dishes. The marble quarried at Colonnata is particularly suited to this purpose because it breathes yet is impermeable, and above all it is rich in calcium carbonate. Lardo made this way has very ancient origins: it was one of the staple foods of the quarrymen who, spending whole days in remote quarries, had found in this ageing method the best way to always have a product that was fresh and perfectly preserved. Colonnata, a village of quarrymen, made the most of this food and has kept its tradition alive over time. The “Lardo di Colonnata IGP” designation refers to the village of Colonnata but, above all, to an ageing method – the marble basin – that has ideal characteristics for this purpose. Marble is therefore the protagonist of this production method, and with it the whole Apuan area, its homeland par excellence. The production method is the same as hundreds of years ago, and “La Bottega Di Adò” has kept its tradition and its original recipes.

Description of “lardo di Colonnata igp” from: Wikipedia

Il Lardo di Colonnata IGP is a cured meat with Protected Geographical Indication, typical of thevillage of the same name in the Apuan Alps, in the municipality of Carrara. It is made from lardo (cured back fat) from pigs, aged in basins of Carrara marble.