Larding Needles

Two types of larding needles are used to insert strips of fatback into large pieces of meat to keep them moist during braising. The larger of the two, a lardoire, consists of a tube with an opening along the length on one side. It has a sharp pointed tip and a handle. The strip of fat is put into the tube and the larding needle is pushed through the meat, then withdrawn, so that the fat is left running through the meat. Ideally, the fatback should make an attractive checkerboard pattern when the meat is sliced. The second type, an aiguille à piquer, is used for larding the surface of meats. It resembles a small knitting needle and has a toothed hinge on the back end to hold the strip of fat. The needle is used to “sew” the strips through the meat’s surface.