"Columbus brought the first pigs to the New World - to Cuba - on his second voyage in 1493 but explorer Hernado de Soto was first to bring pigs to what was to become the United States when he took thirteen of pigs to Florida in 1539." [1]
Back in the day, pigs had flavor, fat and taste. They were raised in a closed system, allowing for the production of animal feed and the use of their waste. Then "change" happened. People stopped using and demanding pork fat (lard). Ranchers and industrial farming organizations (i.e. "big business") went for the money and switched to raising leaner hogs.
Enter industrial factory farms and Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO). As Chow.com wrote in Heritage pigs - Holy Grail with Curly Tail, September 25, 2006, "these mass-produced pigs are selected for leanness, high yield, and fast growth, [with the help of hormones and antibiotics], at at the expense of the animals’ health, and certainly at the expense of deliciousness."
Our eyes are beginning to be opened. How pigs are raised and live is one key (see Sustainable Pork), but breed is just as important and should not be neglected. Thankfully, a number of heirloom pig varieties are being raised on small family farms all across the country.
Heritage Foods USA, the online sales and marketing arm of Slow Food USA formed in 2001, recognizes how important it is to save these breeds, to reward small-scale production, to preserve great taste and to increase diversity in the food supply.
The following information comes from Heritage Foods USA:
- Six-Spotted Berkshire - The Berkshire flavor, according to Florence Fabricant of The New York Times, is "darker, more heavily marbled with fat, juicier and richer-tasting than most pork, and perfect for grilling." Only Berkshires (called "Kurobuta" in Japan) with six white spots, located on at least one hoof, the nose and tail, qualify as pure breeds. The Berkshire is loved for the back fat on the loins and the juiciness of the secondary cuts such as the osso bucco and the country rib racks.
- Red Wattle - Red Wattle meat tends to be a little darker than most other pork and is very tender. The variety boasts wonderful hams and sirloin steaks and a juicy and flavorful taste even though the meat is lean. The Red Wattle is perhaps the most severely at risk variety of pork in the United States. This pig, which gets its name from its red color and the wattles that hang under the chin, originated in New Caledonia, came to New Orleans in the 18th century and lingered in the forests of Texas.
- Tamworth - The Tamworth is considered the best bacon hog in the United States and boasts one of the leanest carcasses of all the pork breeds, perfect if you are watching your cholesterol but can't live without pork! The ham is muscular and firm although it lacks the size and bulk found in most other breeds. The first Tamworth was brought to the United States in 1882 by Thomas Bennett of Rossville, Illinois. There remain fewer than 1,000 registrations of Tamworths in the United States.
- Duroc - The purebred Duroc is high in marbling (small flecks of fat within the muscle), making its spareribs and shoulder roasts particularly sweet and juicy. Duroc meat is tender and boasts a mild taste. The breed originated from the blending of two strains of hogs from New Jersey and New York in 1830. The red breed was named "Duroc" after a famous thoroughbred stallion of the day.
[1] Niman, Bill, and Janet Fletcher. The Niman Ranch Cookbook From Farm to Table With America's Finest Meat. New York: Ten Speed P, 2005.
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