Home on the Range #045: World’s Best Pork – Old World, Mangalitsa Pork

We have have discussed in previous iterations of “Home on the Range” how the Mangalitsa pig breed – as boutique as it may be – is skyrocketing in popularity among hobby farmers, homesteaders, and even commercial farmers. But why?… The answer lies deep underneath their lard-filled exterior. Mangalitsa pigs, like many pig breeds, have a good marbling of fat to make their meat delicious (especially bacon), but Mangalitsa pork has become prized as the World’s Best Pork for its decadent taste. So, in this weeks edition of “Home on the Range,” we are revisiting the World’s Best Pork – Mangalitsa pork – to see why this breed is skyrocketing in popularity and may be worth adding to your herd. Let’s dive in!

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Welcome to our reoccurring series of “Home on the Range.” Here, we would like to share all of our experiences for those who may be homesteading, living off the land, hunting, farming, ranching, and truly investing in nature and the great outdoors. The ability to provide for yourself and your family can be tremendously rewarding and simultaneously difficult at times. So, in “Home on the Range” we want to share our different exploits so you can learn and hopefully we can receive your feedback along the way as well.

Mangalitsa Pork – Old World Breed, “Hog with a Lot of Lard”

My family’s modest ranch is based in central Minnesota where its 100°F in the summer and sometimes -40°F in the winter. Oh, the joys of Mother Nature. This is harsh on livestock and especially smaller, outdoor animals like pigs. Mangalitsa pigs are considered an almost unfettered-with, old world pig breed that is indigenous to the country of Hungary. Both my home state of Minnesota and the country of Hungary run along the same latitude lines on the globe. So, it makes sense why this breed does well in my harsh Minnesota climate. The Mangalitsa, or Mangalica, translates to mean “hog with a lot of lard.” While this might sound insulting if your brother or sister said that about you, it is a term of endearment to this breed because Mangalitsa pork is utterly succulent and delicious. Interestingly enough, we almost lost this scrumptious piggy back in the 1990s when they were nearly drove to extinction with under 200 left on the planet. Now, these wooly pigs are thriving and sporting their curly coats of hair all over the world again in full force.

Mangalitsa Pork – World’s Best Pork?

So, what’s up with the hype? Where does the rubber meet the road? Where does the bacon meet the frying pan? When people talk about the fat-to-meat ratio, or marbling, of Mangalitsa pigs it is no joke. Mangalitsa pigs are typically comprised of 65 – 70% fat and 30 – 35% meat. Comparatively, most modern pig breeds like Yorkshire and Berkshire are a near even mix of fat-to-meat at 50/50. So, this unheard of marbling makes Mangalitsa pork taste that much better. Also, the way people raise Mangalista pigs makes them taste better. Mangalitsas are slow growers. If you can grow a Yorkshire to maturity in 6 months to eat it, it takes twice as long for a Mangalitsa. As a result, they are typically pasture raised or in significantly larger outdoor pens where they have a natural diet of foraging grasses, plants, and even mushrooms and are only supplemented with wheat, corn, and barley on top of that. This makes for a gorgeous red meat and ribbons of creamy white fat high in omega-3 fatty acids and natural antioxidants. Additionally, the fat has a lower melting point (when cooking bacon for example) because it contains more unsaturated fat. If you are wanting to make your own brats, hot dogs, sausage, or other smoked meats the high fat content of Mangalitsa pork means you are going to need to dry your meat longer, but that actually strengthens the flavor and taste while not losing moisture: win-win!

So, while there is no definitive award or voting process among butchers for the “World’s Best Pork,” the general consensus among pig breeders and butchers is that the Mangalitsa reigns supreme. Bear in mind, it takes longer to grow these pigs to a mature butchering weight (preferably 150+ Lb), but if you need to winter them outside that will not be an issue at all. If you have the space for Mangalitsas, give ’em a try! As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

Photography

All of the quality photography for this article was completed by Savannah Pierson of Savvy Photage. She is an expert in her field and her assistance in creating engaging photography and content is greatly appreciated.

Adam Scepaniak