A narrow strip of pork fat, often cut from back fat or bacon, prepared for use in larding. Lardoons are threaded onto a larding needle and drawn through lean meats so the fat melts during cooking, basting the meat internally and preventing it from drying out. In French classical cooking, lardoons may be seasoned or marinated before insertion. The term also appears in braised dishes where small batons of fat enrich stews. With the decline of larding in modern kitchens, the word is encountered mainly in traditional recipes and culinary examinations, preserving a technique from the era when lean game and meat needed added fat to roast successfully.