Pork Fillet Laced with Lardo di Colonnata
Difficulty Level
Medium
Cooking Time
60 m
Cost
Medium
Lardo is a type of 'salume', pork cured meat, made by curing strips of fatback with rosemary and other herbs and spices.
The most famous lardo is from the Tuscan hamlet of Colonnata, where lardo has been made since Roman times. Colonnata is a frazione of the larger city of Carrara, which is famous for its marble and Colonnata's lardo is cured for months in basins made of this local marble. The pork back-fat is cut into strips and laid into chests of Carrara marble called 'conche' with sea salt, garlic, black pepper, and a mix of other spices, including sage, rosemary, cinnamon and cloves. The combination of spices varies between the producers, or 'larderie', who guard their recipes jealously. The lard is then aged in the conche for six to ten months.
Lardo di Colonnata is now included in the Ark of Taste catalogue of heritage foods, and it also enjoys IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) status since 2004.
Ingredients
pork fillet
800 g
Colonnata Lard
100 g, sliced
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil
150 ml
dry white wine
1/2 glass
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Instructions
Cut pork fillet into 4 slices, each roughly 5cm thick. Around the edge of each slice, wrap a thin slice of lard, securing with a length of kitchen string. Roll each pork fillet in the flour and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan and when nicely hot, sear the pork fillets on both sides. Add the white wine and a little water, lower the heat and cook for approximately 10 minutes, turning the fillets once more.
Serve with a selection of seasonal vegetables or a jerusalem artichoke mash.
