The Tail End

Ortiz is still a family run business near the Bay of Biscay, Spain, buying from day boats that catch via line and poll. Read More

Lardo, a traditional Italian cured meat, is made from the “fatback” portion of the animal and is, quite simply, fat from the back that’s been seasoned with coriander, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and bay leaves and cured to perfection. Read More

Coppa’s a cold cut that goes by many names. Capocollo is its given Italian name, but you might also know it by one of its aliases: Capicola, Capicollo, and gabagool if you’re Neapolitan, or you just happen to be a big fan of The Sopranos. Read More

Watch your fat back, bacon! There’s another cheeky slice making the scene whose sole, plump purpose in your kitchen is to turn sow’s ears into silky, succulent purses. Guanciale (Gwan-cha-lay) comes from the pig’s jowl and consists of delicate fat and ribbons of earthy meat throughout. Read More

Who doesn’t need a good shoulder rub now and again? Herb Eckhouse had this in mind when he developed the spice blend that he rubs on his family-farmed, Heritage breed (Berkshire and Tamworth blended with Lancaster or Duroc) pork shoulders during the curing process. Read More

Rumor has it that Herb Eckhouse of Iowa’s La Quercia strolls through his room of curing ham telling them: “Be delicious!” Read More

Now that’s rich, and we don’t mean Mr. Donald Trump. We’re talking about humanely raised beef from Salumeria Biellese that’s rubbed with salt and spice and dry cured to a shockingly red finish. Read More

Made in the same style as prosciutto, that is cured and then dried, this duck prosciutto can be enjoyed in the same way. If you're looking for an alternative to pork, duck prosciutto works just as well in all the traditional pairings - melon, olives, and cheese. Read More