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SO IT’S A GOOD TIME TO FOCUS ON PORK?

Yes, since we are just entering a new year in the Chinese calendar – and this year is the Year of the Pig – I thought I’d like to investigate something that has popped up on my radar recently, heirloom or purebred pork. I’m seeing a lot of pork on upscale restaurant menus these days. And there are lots of ribs and pulled pork sandwiches being served at new barbecue restaurants. So pork is popular.

BUT WHAT’S HEIRLOOM PORK?

You’ve probably heard the world “heirloom” applied to things like heirloom tomatoes or heirloom seeds – it refers to old historic varieties, often prized for their flavour. When it comes to livestock production, the word “heirloom” refers to old breeds – and when it comes to pork, that means historic breeds like Berkshire, Tamworths and Large Blacks. These are the kind of breeds best suited to outdoor production, because of hardiness and darker colour (pink pigs don’t do as well outdoors).

In many parts of the world – from Italy and France to Spain – heirloom breeds have never gone out of fashion and are prized for their unique flavour and regional pedigree. For example, in Spain, the famous Iberian ham or jamon, is only made using pork from a special breed of black-footed pig, the pata negro, some fed exclusively on wild acorns. In Italy, the pigs for the famous Prosciutto di Parma  are usually the Landrace variety, and are fed the whey from Parmigianno cheese production, giving the meat its distinctive nutty flavour.

Here in North America, the interest in heirloom animal breeds, like heirloom pork, has been spearheaded by the Slow Food movement and people interested in preserving genetic diversity. Because in many cases, heirloom breeds are being lost as hybrid or genetically modified breeds have been selected for high volume production in confinement. Of the 15 breeds of pigs once raised in the U.S., six are already extinct. It’s also an environmentally-sound choice, because it’s usually associated with small-scale production.

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM CONVENTIONAL PORK?

Conventional pork – or commodity pork - is 47% leaner than it was 10 years ago, so we’re breeding pork to make it leaner.  Older heritage breeds are higher in fat – and therefore higher in flavour - and that’s likely what is the first reason why chefs are interested in heirloom pork.

It also has to do with the provenance of the pork – chefs like to be able to tell customers where the ingredients they use come from.

And like any pure bred livestock producer, heirloom pork producers are working with a single breed, and often in a smaller scale production model.  While not all heirloom pork is produced on small farms, often it’s done by a producer who is also interested in organic or free-range farming techniques. So heirloom pork is considered more sustainable and socially conscious.

Here in Canada, the main heirloom breed is Berkshire – or BARK-shur as it’s pronounced in England where these pigs originate. Berkshire is an old British breed known to produce dark and highly-marbeled meat that is very juicy when cooked.

I first met a Berkshire pork producer at a Cuisine Canada conference in Winnipeg, and he told me that 40 members of the Western Canadian Berkshire Producers represent a very small percentage of the pork production on the prairies, but that the numbers are growing. They are only producing about 20,000 hogs per year – most in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The members of this association feed their pigs strictly grains like barley and use a straw-based bedding system, which means the pigs are not housed in dry stalls or in the conventional slatted floor barns used in large operations.

Pure-bred Berkshire pigs are mostly black in colour – with a white nose – and they have smaller litters, and are about 10% slower to finish. So they are more expensive to produce, which is why most heirloom breeds have largely been abandoned by large-scale producers in favour of larger, leaner, faster-growing breeds.

In Alberta Sunterra Meats has a small herd of about 200 Berkshire sows, producing meat exclusively for the Japanese market, although some chefs are buying it.

In fact, most of the Berkshire pork produced in Canada is shipped to Japan, where they are happy to pay the high prices  - sometimes 2-3 times as much - for this kind of specialty pork.

IS BERKSHIRE THE ONLY HEIRLOOM BREED?

That’s the main pure-bred pig that’s popping up on restaurant menus, but smaller producers, especially organic and free-range pork producers, are also using breeds that are a little different from conventional pork producers.

I talked to Ron Hamilton of Sunworks Farm near Edmonton, and they are raising organic, free-range pigs. Their herd is a Landrace/Duroc cross, with some Large Black in the genetics. These breeds are chosen because of their coat and darker colour – better suited to living outdoors in the sun – and their mothering skills.

At Broek Pork Acres near Coalhurst, Allan and Joanne Vanden Broek are raising Yorkshire and Duroc pigs and are starting to raise a few Berkshires.

WHAT OTHER KINDS OF SPECIALTY PORK IS ON THE MARKET?

There are a few farms in Alberta, like Sunworks and First Nature Farm near Grand Prairie doing organic, free-range pork. And the Vanden Broek’s are raising their pigs on pasture. This means the pigs range free, getting some of their nutrition from pasture, grass, roots and such, while also being fed barley and soy bean feed.

Some farms, like Hog Wild near Mayerthorpe, west of Edmonton, are raising wild boar, which is another entirely different animal. These wild pigs are also raised outdoors on pasture, but the meat is exceptionally lean and dense.

There’s also something called Omega-3 pork on the market. Like Omega-3 eggs, this is a product being produced by the conventional pork industry, by adding flax to their feed, which is high in Omega-3s. In Ontario, some farmers are also feeding their pigs a selenium yeast supplement, creating “selenium-enriched” pork, so you’re likely to see more enriched pork products in the future.

WHO IS SERVING HEIRLOOM PORK?

Of course, like any small production food product, heirloom pork is a premium product. The whole heirloom pork trend began in the top restaurants in the U.S., and has since spread to Canada.

I first encountered Berkshire pork on the menu at the Banff Springs Hotel, in the upscale Banffshire Club, where chef Daniel Buss uses a lot of local, organic and premium ingredients in his cooking. He has a braised Berkshire pork belly dish on the menu – spiced, caramelized and slowly braised for three hours, then served with salsify and flageolet bean cassoulet. A hearty winter dish.

At Quarry Bistro in Canmore, chef David Wyse is using the free-range and organic pork from Jerry Kitt at First Nature Farms near Grand Prairie. Wyse describes it as “sweeter in flavour, better in quality, everything is nicer about it.” At Quarry, they make their own bacon and pancetta, even rendered their own pork lard for cooking, and they have braised pork shoulder with spiced tomato sauce, gnocchi and kale on the winter menu.

Another upscale Alberta restaurant that is doing more pork is Calgary’s River Café. I talked to the chefs there and they’re using the natural, free-range pork from Broek Pork near Lethbridge – doing all kinds of things like a pork and game terrine, and their own pork belly bacon. The River Café also uses a fair bit of Alberta-grown wild boar – they have slow roasted wild boar shoulder with sunchokes, cipollini onions, brussel sprouts and mustard apples on their menu. And last year Scott did a whole wild boar on the barbecue for an event.

Pork is turning up in tourtiere and pate and cassoulet in restaurants focused on the French bistro trend, because pork is very European. And you’re seeing more barbecue-type dishes, like pulled pork sandwiches and ribs on many menus. So pork is back on the radar in restaurants.

WHERE CAN WE BUY IT?

If you are looking for specialty pork producers, the best place to start is a farmer’s market or a local butcher.

At the Calgary and Edmonton farmer’s markets, for example, you can find the free-range, certified organic pork from Sunwork’s Farm. The Hamilton family produces all kinds of pastured meat – including pork – so you can buy a variety of cuts, from chops and roasts to sausages directly from them.

Jerry Kitt of First Nature Farms near Grand Prairie sells his organic, free-range pork at the old Strathcona Market in Edmonton, the Grand Prairie Farmer’s market and Community Natural Foods.

And you can often find these kinds of meats at smaller butchers. Second to None in Calgary sells the pastured pork from the VanderBroek’s farm near Lethbridge, for example, or you can buy it directly from the family at the farm gate.

Of course, the Price family, which owns Sunterra markets in Calgary and Edmonton, is well known for its innovations in pork production and sell their own pork in their retail grocery stores. I talked to Ray Price about the Berkshire pork that Sunterra is producing, and although they began raising it for the Japanese market, and still sell all of it to Japan, if consumers ask for it in their stores, he said they would consider selling it here in Alberta.

Heirloom pork is expensive – two to three times the price of commodity (i.e. conventional) pork - so that’s why you’ll pay so much for a Berkshire pork chop in a fancy restaurant. But the flavour is superior, and a recent study found a demand for animals, including pork, that’s raised in a natural, sustainable way.

Still, it’s a rare breed - Alberta has 1,500 pork producers, raising 3.5 million pigs, and Sunterra’s Berkshire herd is a mere 1,500 sows.

IS PORK HEALTHY TO EAT?

People always assume that pork is high is fat, but it really isn’t.

The leanest cuts are pork loin roasts, chops and tenderloin – with an average of 6 g of fat for a 100 g portion.

Of course, the irony to this story is that heirloom pork is not as lean as today’s conventional pork – which is exactly why chefs like to cook it. Like AAA beef, it’s highly marbeled with fat, which is what makes it extremely juicy and tasty.

And it’s a conundrum for pork producers. While chefs want to use pork with more marbeling, and people are happy to eat it in restaurants, consumers still shy away from visible fat at the meat counter. In Italy or France, people love pork fat and crackling – in Tuscany and the Veneto, they serve a delicious spread called “lardo”, made with pork lard, seasoned with herbs and mixed with crackling, to spread on toast. But here in Canada, we’re fairly fat phobic.

Of course, we do have to be concerned about the amount of saturated fat in our total diet, but our fear of fat has removed all of this old-fashioned flavour from out lives.

While pasture-raised pork can’t be labeled “Omega 3” grass feeding does naturally increase the percentage of omega-3 fatty acids in meats – grass-fed meat has a similar fat profile to wild game. And organic producers point out that some of the things like antibiotics used in conventional meat production get concentrated in the fat.

So if you’re going to eat more pork fat, it’s probably best to choose it carefully.

IS PORK DIFFICULT TO COOK?

Not at all. I cook a lot of pork. Pork tenderloin is very lean and as easy to cook as a chicken breast – just rub it will spices and throw it on the grill. Pork roasts are much easier to cook than beef – more forgiving and rarely dry out.

Pork chops are quick and easy to cook. When you’re buying pork chops, avoid any that are too thin – I like the thick, boneless butterflied chops for frying or grilling.

A pork shoulder roast is the perfect cut for slow-cooking on the smoker to created pulled pork for sandwiches. I even recently found a great recipe for doing tender pulled pork in the oven – which I brought for you today.

I also buy shoulder or leg roasts to cut up for pork stews – you can remove all of the visible fat and it’s still very tender in braised dishes.

MUST BE WELL DONE?

That’s another myth. When trichinosis was a problem in pork – back in our grandmother’s day – yes, it was necessary to cook pork well done. But not any more. Today it’s fine to consume pork that is slightly pink at the centre. It’s only necessary to cook pork to an internal temperature of 70 degrees C (140 degrees F). At that point, it will be just pink and still juicy inside.

For tenderloin or roasts, I recommend searing a roast or large tenderloin in a little olive oil, in a hot frying pan, then roasting in a 325 F oven until juices are clear.

PORK IN ASIAN RECIPES FOR THE YEAR OF THE PIG?

There are many Asian dishes that utilize pork – it’s a meat that’s common in areas where there isn’t a lot of room for animals to roam.

So there are classic dishes like barbecue pork, stir fries with pork, pork dumplings.

In Japanese restaurants in Tokyo, you’ll find heirloom Berkshire pork served as a crispy cutlet (tonkatsu) or thinly sliced and boiled in shabu-shabu. So they’re eating a high fat pork product – but far less of it, and combined with lots of vegetables.

And, of course, pork is a very big deal in Chinese cooking, and I love to use it in dishes like pork fried rice, lo mein and braises. One of my favourite Chinese dishes combines pork and eggplant, and I brought that recipe along, too.

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©Cinda Chavich 2007

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