When I was growing up, my mother always insisted on having the perfect consistency for the paste, and it could be frustrating trying to achieve that with a dull blade. She would hand me a dull cleaver and set me in front of the butcher's block to work away until the salt pork was rendered into a smooth paste. Periodically, I would ask is this good enough? But if it wasn't, she would send me back to complete my task.

The salt pork is chopped very finely, and then the garlic and parsley are added and chopped together until the mixture is a smooth paste. Lardo Mentucciato is often used as a stuffing for poultry, or it can be spread on bread and toasted. I also use it as a starter when making pasta sauce.