Does "Berkshire pork," alone, mean anything?

[Fat Guy]

"Berkshire pork" as a menu and marketing label is now firmly entrenched at the high end. But, without more, what does it really mean? Is there any sort of certification program that guarantees a standard, or is it just a breed of pig? Does the breed, without a certain diet and standards of care, actually produce better meat?

[Dianne]

That is a very good question, the aswer to which I eagerly await. I suspect that methods of raising/rearing are more important than breed. But that presupposes that the pigs don't start out wih all the disadvantages of modern genetics.

[Marigene]

It is a breed of pig.

Berkshire Pigs

Berkshire Pigs

Edited July 8, 2007 by Marigene (log)

[StanSherman]

"Berkshire pork" as a menu and marketing label is now firmly entrenched at the high end. But, without more, what does it really mean? Is there any sort of certification program that guarantees a standard, or is it just a breed of pig? Does the breed, without a certain diet and standards of care, actually produce better meat?

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The breed is very well suited for pasture growth. The farmers who grow them like the animals and their demeanor. Generally the farms that raise Berkshires do so for quality.

[moosnsqrl]

I don't believe there are any certifications around Berkshire pork (as there are for American Wagyu) but the breed wouldn't be well-suited to the mass market husbandry practices that are responsible for dumbing-down grocery store pork, so (assuming you get it from a reputable source and you know it really is that breed) you'll probably be far more pleased with the outcome of anything you prepare using it.

We're fortunate to have a nearby supply in Trimble, MO at Paradise Locker, where Heritage Foods products are processed, packed and shipped. It's about 1.5 hours roundtrip for me, but well worth it, even at $3+/gallon gas. They also have Red Wattles and a couple of other breeds that are not CAFO candidates, aren't bred to be "the other white meat" (unnaturally lean and flavorless) and even if you don't want to pay designer prices, most of their pork is pastured and from the immediate area.

Several local restaurants serve Berkshire exclusively and it is like a trip in the way-back machine to a time when ham, bacon and pork chops had character and didn't, well, taste like salty, fake-smoky chicken.

[Kent Wang]

I thought kurobuta is even better?

What breeds are the common ones called?

[Fat Guy]

As far as I know, kurobuta is Japanese for Berkshire.

[Hiroyuki]

As I mentioned here, kurobuta is purebred Berkshire, but kurobuta is now not just purebred Berkshire because the pigs are raised in a special way.

[jayt90]

Berkshire is a type of pig with breed certification. If you want to establish a Berkshire pen you'll need a Berkshire sow and and at the very least, a certified Berkshire insemination. I'm told this starts at $25 a shot and easily reaches $100, rather than $15- $19 for Duroc and other white breeds. The sows are similarly more expensive.

The piglets will need much more time to mature, say 7 months rather than four, and there may be a problem with dark hair stubble on the fat back. They won't gain as much weight as Durocs, but the meat flavour is more intense and well marbled.

The farmer will have to seek a market, as the local Cargill won't be interested.

I doubt if many are raised on pasture, because of cost. Pigs of any breed will tear up a pasture or orchard in a matter of weeks, and it will take a year or two to restore. If they are bred indoors, with limited exposure outside, they do very well and can be fed a diet of grains raised on the same farm. There are many indoor operations with straw bedding, in small barns, rather than large factory farms. That is where you find most Berkshires.

Edited July 9, 2007 by jayt90 (log)

[moosnsqrl]

Berkshire is a type of pig with breed certification.  If you want to establish a Berkshire pen you'll need a Berkshire sow and and at the very least, a certified  Berkshire insemination. I'm told this starts at $25 a shot and easily reaches $100, rather than $15- $19 for Duroc and other white breeds. The sows are similarly more expensive.

The piglets will need  much more time to mature, say 7 months rather than four,  and there may be a problem with dark hair stubble on the fat back. They won't gain as much weight as  Durocs, but the meat flavour is more intense and well marbled.

The farmer will have to seek a market, as the local Cargill won't be interested.

I doubt if many are raised on pasture, because of cost. Pigs of any breed will tear up a pasture or orchard in a matter of weeks, and it will take a year or two to restore. If they are bred indoors, with limited exposure outside, they do very well and can be fed a diet of grains raised on the same farm. There are many indoor operations with straw bedding, in small barns, rather than  large factory farms.  That is where you find most Berkshires.

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Thanks for the info. My opinion is that of a drooling consumer with some book-learning to back up my tastebuds. Your feeding comment reminded me of a farmer I bought produce from, who also raised hogs. I saved clippings/trimmings (all organic) which he picked up 3 X weekly when he delivered vegetables. His hogs were probably the closest thing to the specific-diet-fed animals in Italy (often chestnut, I think, in the last few months). I asked him once, as he hauled the waxed boxes of designer, organic hog slop out to his truck, what their favorite salad dressing was. I should have seen it coming . . . "ranch."

[StanSherman]

Yes, many are raised on pasture. Not all, but they are well suited for it. We have one raised every year from a farmer we know. I use pastured rather than free-range. Free-range like in poultry is BS. These animals are raised outdoors and moved to new areas when appropriate.