Cooking glossary

generic-untenils-647x160-3col

Larding

A method of introducing strips of fat into a joint of lean meat, to keep it moist and succulent during cooking. Larding involves threading strips of meat through the meat and as the meat cooks the fat melts from the inside to keep it moist. By coating the strips of fat in herbs or spices before being threaded through the meat larding can also be used as a method to add extra flavour.

A specialist larding needle is a large, long needle with a ridged gripping device at one end to hold the fat in place. For joints that will be cooked slowly by moist methods such as pot roasting, secure a strip of fat to the needle and then push the needle through the meat, following the grain, at regular intervals. For joints that will be roasted, secure the fat to the outside of the meat in long stitches.