Pigs R Awesome

[Mr. Freeze]

I recently got someone to sell me a few gilts and a boar of a special type of pig called the Ossawbaw Island Hog.

http://albc-usa.etapwss.com/images/uploads/abstracts/ossabaw.jpg

All of my heritage pigs were/are chosen for the type of meat the produce. Tams are great for bacon and Mulefoots have super chops. This is a descendant of a Spanish Iberian pig that we can't bring the the US (but I'm trying).

They are great for smoked meats and make great prosciutto and would (I think) be better for the Virgina style salt cured than the Yorkshire you're used to buying in stores.


I mean, look at this:

http://pasturebraised.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Iberian_pig_paper_this.jpg

[Mr. Freeze]

Nicest pigs (and best bacon) are the red Tams

http://tcpermaculture.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Tamworth01.jpg

My personal favorite pig is a GOP (Gloucester Old Spot).

Tell me this is not cute:

http://www.gloucestershireoldspots.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/98890025.JPG

[Peter1469]

Looks tasty.

Aly explained all the different breeds to me.

[Mr. Freeze]

Looks tasty.

Aly explained all the different breeds to me.

Hmmph. What does she know about pigs? I have a PhD in Pigology. :)

[Peter1469]

Hmmph. What does she know about pigs? I have a PhD in Pigology. :)


She is very proud of your set up. Also discussed taking some meat.... :smiley:

[Mr. Freeze]

She is very proud of your set up. Also discussed taking some meat.... :smiley:

Aha!

[Redrose]

I recently got someone to sell me a few gilts and a boar of a special type of pig called the Ossawbaw Island Hog.

http://albc-usa.etapwss.com/images/uploads/abstracts/ossabaw.jpg

All of my heritage pigs were/are chosen for the type of meat the produce. Tams are great for bacon and Mulefoots have super chops. This is a descendant of a Spanish Iberian pig that we can't bring the the US (but I'm trying).

They are great for smoked meats and make great prosciutto and would (I think) be better for the Virgina style salt cured than the Yorkshire you're used to buying in stores.


I mean, look at this:

http://pasturebraised.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Iberian_pig_paper_this.jpg

Now I have to go out and get some prosciutto. That looks amazing. Prosciutto and honeydew melon, and a nice Italian bread stick. Yum!

[Mr. Freeze]

Now I have to go out and get some prosciutto. That looks amazing. Prosciutto and honeydew melon, and a nice Italian bread stick. Yum!

I should have some nice prosciutto in another year. It takes so long to age it right. I've been tempted to go out and slice some but...

[Redrose]

I should have some nice prosciutto in another year. It takes so long to age it right. I've been tempted to go out and slice some but...


My great uncle in Brooklyn, NY had an Italian deli. The meats were unbelievable. When I made my Confirmation I wanted a provalone cheese ball, the one they hang in rope. I was a strange kid I suppose.
When we went in the shop he would give us kids slices of deli meats or cheese. Prosciutto is very expensive, but I guess it's because it has to be aged so long. I love good food and good wine.

[Mr. Freeze]

My great uncle in Brooklyn, NY had an Italian deli. The meats were unbelievable. When I made my Confirmation I wanted a provalone cheese ball, the one they hang in rope. I was a strange kid I suppose.
When we went in the shop he would give us kids slices of deli meats or cheese. Prosciutto is very expensive, but I guess it's because it has to be aged so long. I love good food and good wine.

I make cheese and wine, too. :)

[Redrose]

I make cheese and wine, too. :)


I am very jealous.

I'm half English and half Italian. My appetite is mostly Italian. I always have a good cheese in the fridge, I prefer the hard, sharp cheeses like provalone, or locatelli, but enjoy a good brie too. I like grapes, nuts, olives, sun dried tomatoes, peppers, fennel, good crusty bread, EVOO and wine. I eat that way quite often. I'd go live in Italy in a heartbeat if it was possible. My mid-western hubby from Ohio is starting to warm up to that menu.

[Redrose]

Peter1469

Are you hungry yet? I know I am. lol

[Peter1469]

@Peter1469 (http://thepoliticalforums.com/member.php?u=10)

Are you hungry yet? I know I am. lol

I am. :smiley:

[PolWatch]

pork? someone who actually raises pork for flavor? I bet Alabama would be a great site for a new farm!

[Alyosha]

pork? someone who actually raises pork for flavor? I bet Alabama would be a great site for a new farm!
PolWatch

those pigs when made into pork are some of the tastiest pig products I have had. I had been eating store bought for so long--even organic pork that I didn't realize the taste could be so different.

I forget the names of the pink pigs large scale organic farmers use, but they still don't taste like his pigs.

The Mulefoot one has porkchops that are marbled like ribeyes and when you grill them instead of getting tough they are tender like a beef ribeye. Dammit, I'm hungry and won't be home for days. :(

[PolWatch]

We used to have a local store that supplied all the meats for local tug boat companies. Traditionally, the companies buy the best of everything because the crews go out for a couple of weeks at a time and they want to keep the crews happy. Since we knew the store owner, he would sell to us too. Those pork chops were the best I have ever eaten...they were moist and almost sweet tasting when grilled. I hated it when the owner sold his store. The new owners didn't use the same suppliers.

[Redrose]

I never realized there were different tasting pigs. Is it the different pig or what they are fed that chnages the flavor? I like pork, but it can be tasteless. I usually dress it up a bit. I do not like uncured pork, tastes weird to me.

[PolWatch]

I don't know enough about the types of hogs to say. I do know that anyone who hunts wild hogs often finds the meat to be kinda rank...depending on what they have been eating. Wild hogs will eat anything...including each other. Some states allow the hunters to bring them in alive & pen them up. They can then be fed grains, etc to make the taste of the meat better. Alabama doesn't allow a hunter to transport a live wild hog. I don't eat wild pork.

[Mr. Freeze]

I never realized there were different tasting pigs. Is it the different pig or what they are fed that chnages the flavor? I like pork, but it can be tasteless. I usually dress it up a bit. I do not like uncured pork, tastes weird to me.

Store bought pork, even the organic pork has no real flavor unless it is smoked or cured. They use a hybrid of the Landrace and the Chester White because they are prolific pigs (bear large litters) and are more disease resistant. They will usually get a grain diet so the meat is bland.

Hog are actually supposed to forage and when they do they eat a lot of fungus, roots, fruit, and nuts. Mine are all specialty free roaming pigs that roam the woods and are fed a mix of beet pulp, grain, and (depending on the breed) apples.

The Tams have very flavorful bacon because their weight is all in the belly. Mulefoots have great porkchops and the pork is sweet. GOPs have marbled meat and are good for every type of fresh chop or cut you want. Great for sausage. Guinea hogs are raised for their hams and lard. Herefords (like the cows) are good for Virginia style hams or "country hams". Mangalitsas are the tastiest pig by far and I can't describe the taste. They are hard to come by and you'll pay more for a chop of that than Kobe beef.

Pound for pound, Mulefoots have the best meat all around. The Tams you have to own for the bacon. But if I had to pick best value that's the Mulefoot.

Sorry, love my hogs. I also sell chickens, too. About to get into mini cattle.

Oh on the subject of wild boar. They're not un-tasty, they're just to domestic pigs what deer are to cow. I have thought about having Code trap me one just for genetic influx a wild caught animals are usually sturdier and healthier but he asked me if I've ever tried to trap a wild boar and what it would do to him if he actually tried to catch one.

So it's probably not going to happen. :(

[Peter1469]

I don't know enough about the types of hogs to say. I do know that anyone who hunts wild hogs often finds the meat to be kinda rank...depending on what they have been eating. Wild hogs will eat anything...including each other. Some states allow the hunters to bring them in alive & pen them up. They can then be fed grains, etc to make the taste of the meat better. Alabama doesn't allow a hunter to transport a live wild hog. I don't eat wild pork.

Wild hog is very strong. I am not a fan.

[PolWatch]

good pork is hard to find...unless you know someone who raises them. It's hard to eat store bought pork if you have ever eaten homegrown....but I think thats true about any meat.

[Mr. Freeze]

This is their feet

https://theozarkhouse.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/mulefoothoof.jpg


They're cute little guys too.

http://morganicfarmcsa.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/img_0063.jpg

[Mr. Freeze]

good pork is hard to find...unless you know someone who raises them. It's hard to eat store bought pork if you have ever eaten homegrown....but I think thats true about any meat.

Not trying to advertise on this place, but my website should be up this winter.

[Peter1469]

Not trying to advertise on this place, but my website should be up this winter.

Feel free to drop a link when it is up.

[PolWatch]

I'll look for it...rednecks love good pork!

[Mr. Freeze]

I don't want to abuse this place or have people think I'm just here to sell pork. I'm just a bit obsessed with my hogs. I finally have them back in the breeding corrals and am working on my own "hybrid".

I wanted to be a rock star or marine biologist but Mom said since Manya was becoming a lawyer I could be a doctor or a CPA. So I became a CPA until I could retire and take my science classes and put them to good use somewhere.

[PolWatch]

sorry to say this, but you probably deal with a better quality creature now than if you had other career choices!

[Peter1469]

I don't want to abuse this place or have people think I'm just here to sell pork. I'm just a bit obsessed with my hogs. I finally have them back in the breeding corrals and am working on my own "hybrid".

I wanted to be a rock star or marine biologist but Mom said since Manya was becoming a lawyer I could be a doctor or a CPA. So I became a CPA until I could retire and take my science classes and put them to good use somewhere.

Put the link on your profile page.

[Mr. Freeze]

I wasn't sure if I would have enough processed meat after restaurant sales and farmer's markets but when I was "away" my breeding program went crazy and now I have some mixed breeds of the GOP and Mulefoot whose meat is out of this world. I am now thinking that I could make that my main pork cooperative, but not sure.

[Peter1469]

I wasn't sure if I would have enough processed meat after restaurant sales and farmer's markets but when I was "away" my breeding program went crazy and now I have some mixed breeds of the GOP and Mulefoot whose meat is out of this world. I am now thinking that I could make that my main pork cooperative, but not sure.

Who knew that all the chaos would be good for business.

[PolWatch]

I'm surprised that there are enough people who value good food to support a business like yours. I'm used to being considered an old flake for wanting fresh vegetables and meat that isn't full of additives. When I mention organic gardening, I usually see eyes start to glaze over (except for Peter).

[Mr. Freeze]

Who knew that all the chaos would be good for business.

I'm not "happy" about it but lately I've been seeing some benefit. I still want to get back to isolating the pigs for selling purposes, but the meat output on these hybrids is pretty sweeeeet!

[Mr. Freeze]

I'm surprised that there are enough people who value good food to support a business like yours. I'm used to being considered an old flake for wanting fresh vegetables and meat that isn't full of additives. When I mention organic gardening, I usually see eyes start to glaze over (except for Peter).

I had an organic gardening thread on here but very few people posted in it!

I live outside of the University of Virginia. The restaurants there and the type of people who work there love this stuff. In the summer I can make $8k a weekend at farmer's markets.

[PolWatch]

wow! that's impressive. Where I live, most people think Wal-Mart is the best place to buy meat. There are more who shop at local fruit stands or from local truck farms.

[Mr. Freeze]

wow! that's impressive. Where I live, most people think Wal-Mart is the best place to buy meat. There are more who shop at local fruit stands or from local truck farms.

I have been financing a meat processing plant. I could do a whole thread on how the FDA and regulations prevent poor people from eating well in America and that has everything to do with how they over-regulate processing.

You'd think the regulations would either make things less cruel for animals or safer for workers. They do neither. The current methods are still horrific for animals at large processing plants and they're not any cleaner or more hygienic. No offense to my sister but that is what happens when lawyers are in DC. Not a one of them understands any subject other than legalese.

If there were more processing plants, people like myself could produce more hogs and raise them humanely so that the cost of meat could be driven down (I'd make much less than $8k a weekend at farmer's markets) so that the poor kids down the road actually get food that is cheap and healthy. Right now I have a niche market willing to pay top dollar. That's nice but there's a part of me that would like to see myself make less money per pound but have other people beside rich gilded liberals and resmuglicans eating my food.

Good food shouldn't be so expensive. But that's what Washington is, politicians of both parties responding to big agribusiness and other big corporate sponsors to make it so that the rich may live as they choose at the expense of the health and quality of life of those beneath them.

/off soapbox

[PolWatch]

I was amazed when I noticed some of the meat at a local store had labels that stated the meat was a product of Mexico. I was amazed they were importing beef when there are plenty of local beef producers in my area. I wonder how they manage to keep the price down for imported meat, when you have to jump through hoops for domestic meat.

[Polecat]

Sucks to be several hundred miles away. I'd invite myself over for dinner otherwise.

[Redrose]

I don't want to abuse this place or have people think I'm just here to sell pork. I'm just a bit obsessed with my hogs. I finally have them back in the breeding corrals and am working on my own "hybrid".

I wanted to be a rock star or marine biologist but Mom said since Manya was becoming a lawyer I could be a doctor or a CPA. So I became a CPA until I could retire and take my science classes and put them to good use somewhere.
Mr. Freeze
I put my accounting degree to good use, but never took the CPA test. It intimidated me.

A friend in Florida is a cattle rancher, she has very little downtime, I'm impressed with all you describe with your little snouted friends that you find time to post on here.

If you don't mind me asking, what state are you in?

[Mr. Freeze]

I was amazed when I noticed some of the meat at a local store had labels that stated the meat was a product of Mexico. I was amazed they were importing beef when there are plenty of local beef producers in my area. I wonder how they manage to keep the price down for imported meat, when you have to jump through hoops for domestic meat.


A lot of people don't realize how few large scale meat processing plants there are (thanks, FDA) in the US. That is exactly why it's so expensive to buy US meat that's organic. The large agri-businesses get first dibs on processing overspill.


I know I'm partial (my pet pig, Beulah is one of these) but aren't GOP's cute?

http://gospbu.org/wp-content/gallery/gospbu/image-b41d762358d615ac92dc7fd5d4f9dc5f5d736d1a.jpg

[Mr. Freeze]

@Mr. Freeze (http://thepoliticalforums.com/member.php?u=892)
I put my accounting degree to good use, but never took the CPA test. It intimidated me.

A friend in Florida is a cattle rancher, she has very little downtime, I'm impressed with all you describe with your little snouted friends that you find time to post on here.

If you don't mind me asking, what state are you in?

Virginia and I usually don't post on here or have the down time. I get up at 4 am and work until 7 then I take a break until 2:30. They are free range pigs, chickens, etc. (free range within a HUGE fenced acreage).

The chickens are the escape artists. The pigs have enough space they don't try to leave. They're very smart and understand that coyotes are mean so they congregate near the dog.

[Ethereal]

feel free to drop a link when it is up.

opsec

[Ethereal]

I had an organic gardening thread on here but very few people posted in it!

I live outside of the University of Virginia. The restaurants there and the type of people who work there love this stuff. In the summer I can make $8k a weekend at farmer's markets.

Shhhhh!

The competition is going to data mine you... :lipsrsealed:

[Mr. Freeze]

True but Virginia is Tam country for organic hogs. Some GOPs and Guineas, so I'm cornering the Mulefoot market.

[del]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44tiEPs8Ye0

:)

[Mr. Freeze]

Not to ruin a good pig parade, but I bought a small herd of these to arrive in the spring.

http://milligansganderhillfarm.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/highland-cattle-lostine-cattle-co-e8d1cb500a488a65.jpg


Actually, that's not true. My sister did. She just doesn't know it yet. :)

[Redrose]

I'm a city kid, what are they? Steer, I'm assuming.

[Mr. Freeze]

I'm a city kid, what are they? Steer, I'm assuming.

Mini Scottish Highlanders.

[PolWatch]

ah ha! wooly boogers!

[Dark Mistress]

Nicest pigs (and best bacon) are the red Tams

http://tcpermaculture.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Tamworth01.jpg

My personal favorite pig is a GOP (Gloucester Old Spot).

Tell me this is not cute:

http://www.gloucestershireoldspots.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/98890025.JPG

Awww.... cute.

Is that Shadowfax? Mr. Freeze

[Dark Mistress]

Not to ruin a good pig parade, but I bought a small herd of these to arrive in the spring.

http://milligansganderhillfarm.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/highland-cattle-lostine-cattle-co-e8d1cb500a488a65.jpg


Actually, that's not true. My sister did. She just doesn't know it yet. :)

We were looking up the Scottish the other night. They are "furry" fellas.

[silvereyes]

Whats a gilt? Is it white? Lol.

[Redrose]

Whats a gilt? Is it white? Lol.


I know that, I know that. I learned that in a trivia test. It's a young female pig, under a year that has never been bred yet.

[silvereyes]

Ohhhhh. A virgin. Lol.

[Redrose]

You just reminded me. My mind jumps all over the place. lol

The other night on FOX Greta Van Sustern was talking about the phony rape accusation at the University of Virginia. She said University of Vagina. She recovered very quickly. I watched it again later in the evening. That's what she said. I'd just say UVA. It's safer.