Pork is yummy and usually cheap. But do you know there are some noble pig breeds that provide extraordinary pork? They have excellent tenderness, juiciness and rich marbling like Wagyu. By reading this article, you will know them more. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
1. Mangalica Pig (Hungarian Pig Breed)
Mangalica (or Mangalitsa) is a pig breed that comes from Hungary. This Hungarian name implies its feature—pig with a lot of lard. The Mangalitsa Pig is one of the fattiest pig breeds around the world which contains 65-70% fat of the carcass. They have gorgeous marbling and thus some people call them “Kobe beef of pork”. Although they have a high content of creamy fat, their proportion of unsaturated fat (including omega-3 fatty acids) is greater than that of other hogs. In other words, Mangalitsa lard is healthier and it will begin to melt at a lower temperature.
Apart from the desirable marbling, the Mangalitsa Pig has astonishing bushy, curly hair that looks like a sheep. The hair can be black or red, and the most common color is blond. The Hungarian producers usually use the Mangalitsa Pig for sausage and salami while they are used to make ham in Spain. As a die hard fan of Mangalica ham, choose the whole ham; If it is new for you, try sliced ham!
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2. Iberian Pig (Spanish Pig Breed)
Iberian Pig (Iberico Pork) is raised in the mountain regions of Spain and Portugal. They have another name “Pata Negra” which means black hoof owing to their little black hair. In fact, they can be gray or even red. And they have slender legs as well as a long snout. Iberian Pig is particularly renowned for ham which is called “Jamón ibérico” in Spanish.
The Iberian Pig lives in the sparse oak forest and is allowed to move freely. Breeding a fine single Iberian Pig needs a hectare of healthy oak forest. This is to ensure each of them could eat enough oak, olives and weeds. Other than the feed, they drink natural mountain spring water instead of running water.
Because of the high-quality diet and comfortable environment, the Iberico Pork is fine and tender with the oak aroma. And it possesses plentiful marbling which delivers a melt-in-the-mouth texture like Wagyu. That’s why some people call the Iberian Pig “walking olive tree”, it is olive-like in terms of mouthfeel, plus it also contains high content of unsaturated fatty acids.
Since 2014, Spain has started to classify Iberian Pigs into 4 grades according to breeding method, food source and purity of the breed. The following grades start from the best—“Bellota 100% Ibérico”, “Bellota Ibérico”, “Cebo de Campo Ibérico” and “Cebo Ibérico”.
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3. Gascon Pig (French Pig Breed)
Gascon Pig is 100% naturally raised in Southwestern France which only eats the Non-GMO feeds. It is rare and probably the most ancient French breed of pig. They have black hair and tend to be fat just like most of the old-fashioned pig breeds. All of the Gascon Pigs have a certificate that records their identity, bloodline, growth and other information in detail.
Due to strict quality control, the Gascon Pig is delightfully delectable with a smooth and buttery mouthfeel. In most cases, they are used to produce high-quality ham and ham sausage.
4. Berkshire Pig (English Pig Breed)
Berkshire Pig is one of the oldest breeds of pig that comes from England. It was brought to the United States in the early 1800s with attentive care. They are medium in size and black with 6 white markings: four white socks, a white splash on the snout, and a white tip on the tail.
Berkshire Pork is the Wagyu of the pork world. That is to say, they are outstanding from the regular pork. The meat has a pink hue with dense marbling, which gives a wonderful tenderness and a burst of juices. Berkshire Pork is suitable to cook at high temperature for a long period of time thanks to the great amount of fat. Moreover, the meat has a slightly higher pH value that makes it looks redder and firmer, as well as tastes somewhat sweeter.
5. Kurobuta Pork (Japanese Pig Breed)
Kurobuta Pork is an important product of Kagoshima, Japan. The word “Kurobuta” means “black hog” in Japanese which points out the major color of the pigs. Actually, this pig breed originates from the English Berkshire Pig and you could literally say they are the same thing.
However, the breeding methods, weather and standard of Japan vary from that of England and result in different outcomes. Kagoshima is warm and the local breeders will feed the pigs with sweet potatoes, hence the Kurobuta Pork is soft and tender with rich marbling. They taste incredibly flavorful and juicy with sweet notes. Also, the marbling of Kurobuta Pork has a higher melting point and so they are great for shabu-shabu or grilling.
The production of Kurobuta Pork in Kagoshima is under strict management, every pig has different certifications in order to avoid fraud.
6. Jeju Island Black Pork (Korean Pig Breed)
Obviously, Jeju Island Black Pork (or Heuk Dwaeji) comes from Jeju Island, South Korea. It is a must try food if you travel there!
The Jeju Island Black Pigs grow in a natural environment. Their meat has a deep pork flavor, abundant fat and chewy consistency. People often barbecue them until golden and crispy which is extremely mouth-watering. The Jeju Black Pork is highly revered and there is even a street of Black Pork barbecue restaurants. What’s more, some restaurants may keep a little black hair of the pig when serving to prove its authenticity which will not be off-putting.
Summary
The above pig breeds are the Ace of Spades of pork. They are superb and amazing to taste although the price may be a bit high. Why not try once? Trust me, you won’t regret it!
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