Pete & Jen’s Backyard Birds

Pete and Jen are on a mission, and this week they’re mission saved my belly, my pork belly.

As sustainable farmers and locavores, they raise chickens, pigs, rabbits and lambs in Concord, Massachusetts pastures where they can enjoy fresh air, grass and acres on which to roam. Their chickens are such highly regarded that the testimonials sound almost cult-like (in a good way, of course).

I was in need of pork lard, and Peter and Jen’s Backyard Birds did not disappoint. Since I’ll be jetting off to Paris soon, I want to leave the hubby with a perfect confit pork belly, a slab of fat cooked in more fat such that it’s preserved for quick indulgent meals over the next several months. Fab friends on Twitter had pointed me to spots in Providence and New Hampshire to get some affordable lard, but a quick search yielded Pete and Jen’s fabulous mini-store tucked away near Verrill Farm in Concord.

They had fresh eggs galore!

And piles and piles of pig parts – both typical (like pork chops) and a little more unique (pork feet, pork heart, pork kidneys)!

I remained focus on my mission, picking up a couple tubs of pork lard and a small ham hock for a soup I plan to cook up for the husband before I depart. You can take a peek at their mini-store live by signing up for their newsletter.