I have become obsessed with finding the perfect pig. About 3 or 4 years ago I went to Blue Hill at Stone Barns for my birthday dinner. For those of you that may not know Blue Hill, it is a functioning farm that grows their own produce and slaughters their own livestock. That is the quick answer, at least. I had lived near the farm for a year and had no idea what this place was. I would even pull the car over and pet the cows when they were close to the fence. Well, during my dinner I had the Berkshire pork. It was one of the most amazing flavors I had encountered in a long time. Then for the next few dinners I had there, I would always end up getting different cuts of the pig.
I went to dinner in Boston, at Coppa, with some friends and we tried the pig's tail and a bone marrow pizza. Ever since I had that tail, it has been in my mind. It's like chasing the dragon.... it was that amazing.
I have enjoyed pigs ear salad and faggots at The Spotted Pig and have made some amazing pork recipes at home. But I just can't exactly what I want. I want pork cheeks. I want pig ears. I want the funny hard to find bits that most people don't want. I want to find the perfect pig. I want there to be a pig farm that I can go to and get what I need or want. In my searches throughout New Jersey and New York, I have only found 2 places that can supply me with what I need.
The first place is Heritage Foods. They have an online presence and they also have a market in Essex Market down in the Lower East Side. I went to the market today and was so happy. They didn't have any pork cheeks, but they told me that it was just because they didn't get them in this week, though last week they had them and sold out. They did have pork liver and caul fat, which I have been searching for. I had asked about calling ahead to find the items that I would need and he said that was the best idea. The meat is raised on a pasture with no antibiotics. They have a wide assortment of meat, but I was seriously impressed with the pig side of the business.
The second place I found was Mosefund Mangalista. You can shop for your products there or place your order online and pick it up at their farm in Western New Jersey. They specialize in a particular breed of pigs. Mangalitsa pigs are known for their flavor, as they are descendants of wild boars and lard pigs. They were only found in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It wasn't until 2006 that 17 pigs were imported to the UK from Hungary. I have yet to try this amazing pig, but it will be happening soon, I can promise you that! And I am extremely bummed I missed out on their Pigstock 2013! If anyone wants to give me an early Christmas gift.... they can sign me up for next year's
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