Lardon

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small strip or cube of fatty bacon or pork used to enhance flavor and richness in dishes
2. A form of culinary fat added to meats or vegetables to improve taste and moisture
3. Often incorporated in various recipes to provide a savory, rich element to sauces or fillings

Etymology: Old French "lardon" is a diminutive-type derivative of "lard" (fat, from Latin "lardum"), so the word literally names a small piece of lard. That is the whole of its meaning in the kitchen: a thin strip or cube of fatty pork, cut small so it can be rendered into a sauce, larded into lean meat, or scattered through a salad. English borrowed it from Old French during the Middle English period, first as "lardun" and "lardon," and the word kept the same job it had across the Channel. The cook's habit behind it is older than the word: "larding" meant threading fat into lean meat so the roast would not dry out, and the lardon is simply the fat cut into pieces ready for that work.