Rooted in Centuries of Italian Tradition, Lardo Reigns Salumi Supreme

An Italian mainstay, lardo is pork fat cured in spices and herbs. In Tuscan lore, it was made in marble tubs that allowed the lardo to breathe as it cured, resulting in a lusciously tender piece of salumi prime for enriching just about anything.

Evan Funke of Los Angeles’ Bucato makes a chopped lardo mousse he calls “pesto Modanese.” His riff on this Italian tradition includes walnuts, wildflower honey and black...