Below is a large hunk of skin-on fatback from either a Ossabaw or a "Crossabaw" (cross between a Ossabaw and Berkshire) from
Nature's Hamony Farm. Originally, it was destined to be rendered and turned into
lard. That was until a fellow poster at
285 Foodies suggested I should make Lardo di Arnad... I agreed.
So I have started the process which is really pretty simple. According to
Jason's instructions, I took 1 liter of water and brought it to a boil. I used a bottle of spring water just to keep all the flavors super-clean. Once the water boils, add 300 grams of salt and stir until dissolved. Add in a hefty dose of herbs and spices and let the mixture steep until it is completely cool. Here I have used about 8 grams of rosemary, 2 cloves of garlic (crushed), 7 juniper berries (crushed), a tablespoon or so of black peppercorns, 7 sage leaves, 6 whole cloves, 3 bay leaves, a stick of cinnamon, and a few small stems of thyme. Once cool, pour the brine over the fatback and refrigerate... for a long time. From here, time does the work. Jason instructed to leave the fatback in the brine for 3 months, turning once a month, making sure everything is submerged.
So, you have 3 months to figure out what Lardo di Arnad is. In 3 months (late March) I'll post again and of course show you the finished product. Below is the fatback in the brine.
