Lardo

One last thing before finally getting to bed!

I tried that Niman Ranch lardo and it is as good as the stuff from Italy. The seasonings are perfect.

It is not for everybody, as the texture is one that many will find a bit alien, but it is also great for cooking, so it has uses beyond just slicing it and eating it on grilled focaccia. I have no regrets about buying the giant slab of it and recommend it heartily.

I took a good bit of it and chopped it coarsely and rendered it in olive oil. Then I tossed in some par-boiled cardoni and after they started to brown, a splash of white vermouth. Once it cooked down, I put it all in my serving dish and fried a mixture of bread crumbs, garlic, and anchovies until it started to change color. I sprinkled it on the cardoni and gave it a liberal sprinkling of chopped parsley.

It went very well with my mother's homemade ravioli.