Pork fatback is the slab of fat that sits on both sides of the animal’s backbone. Fatback can be used in a number of ways to add moisture and flavor to dishes. It can be ground and mixed with ground meat to add juiciness to burgers, meatloaf, meatballs, and more. Fatback is also often used in a process called “larding”, where thin strips are inserted into leaner cuts of meat using an instrument called a “larding needle”. A similar process known as “barding” involves wrapping lean meat in fat before roasting. Fatback can also be rendered into lard, which can be used as a cooking fat for sautéeing, or in place of butter in certain savory recipes. It should be noted that lard rendered from fatback retains some porky flavor, unlike leaf lard which is much more mild.
Our pigs are raised on pasture all summer, without hormones or antibiotics. We buy in a small herd of piglets each May that is made up of a mix of heritage breeds, including Tamworth and Old Spot. We feed our pigs non-GMO grain, but being raised outside means they also forage for tubers, roots, berries, grubs, and more. From May to November, we rotate the pigs into new paddocks, allowing them to explore and express their natural rooting behaviors, while also fertilizing those areas with manure.