Definitions

As I read over the recipe again I was stopped by words that I had not heard of before so I decided to start a definitions list to help me remember.

Lardons: is a small strip or cube of pork fat (usually subcutaneous fat) used in a wide variety of cuisines to flavor savory foods and salads. In French cuisine, lardons are also used for larding, by threading them with a needle into meats that are to be braised or roasted. Lardons are not normally smoked, and they are made from pork that has been cured with salt.

Lardons may be prepared from different cuts of pork, including pork belly and fatback, or from cured cuts such as bacon  or salt pork. Since the true French lardon is salt-cured but not smoked, "the flavor comes through cleanly, more like ham but richer because the meat is from the belly of the pig, not the leg." One food writer takes this as evidence that the French "do bacon right." The meat (fat) is usually cut into small strips or cubes about one centimeter (3/8 inch) wide, then blanched or fried.

Some chefs recommend using pancetta as a substitute; ham is also suggested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lardon