Earlier this month we processed one of our Ossabaw boars that had been growing for just over a year.  Ossabaw Pig at Nature's Harmony FarmIt hadn't achieved quite the size we would normally want from a pig, which is normally in the 250 pound range.  This one ended up weighing 175 pounds.  We decided to process anyway as we want to experiment with meat quality, fat quality and cut yield on various sizes so we can determine what's right for us and the Ossabaw.  Over the next few months, we'll be processing several more at larger sizes.

Long time blog followers may recall this post we did over two years ago when we made the decision to start raising Ossabaws.  Once we had that first bite

Raw Ossabaw Pork Chopsin June 2007, we knew that we would raise them for us, if no one else. Since that time, many people have become aware of the Ossabaw's fantastic meat qualities through publicity and great books such as Pig Perfect by Peter Kaminsky.  Ironically, in the two years since we decided to raise Ossabaw, we've had next to none for ourselves...which is slightly more than what our customers have had.  So we were very eager to savor another bite.  However, this time, something substantial was different.

Castration and Boar Taint

Unlike the Ossabaw we had tasted two years prior, this meat would be from a boar that had not been Seasoned Chops in Cast Iron Skilletcastrated.  Liz and I decided some time ago to not castrate hogs, just as many European countries are now enforcing. Click here if you're interested in reading a recent post I did on this in the Farmer's Forum.  We believe that boar taint really is not an issue and indeed research shows that it either is not present or most people cannot detect it. I doubt too many hunters only aim for deer in November that have been castrated.  Even if some eaters can detect it, our view is that this is part of the experience and we consumers need to adjust our taste preferences to what the animals give us instead of forcing everything to comform to the perfect ideal of what we want.  Uh...there I go again; ranting.  Back to the story.

Like usual, we wanted to cook this very simply so we could savor what the meat had to offer, and not taste brine and heavy-handed spices.  The first impression was remarkable, as the first photo shows.  The other white meat?  Try the other RED meat.  Just look at that color and marbling!  We were salivating from the start.

Finishing/Steaming Chops

I seasoned the chops with sea salt, black pepper and fresh oregano from the garden.  From there, a little butter and olive oil was heated in a cast iron skillet until bubbling, and the chops were placed in.  I kind of eyeball these things like most cooks do, but I'd say the chops were cooked 4 minutes or so each side.  Keep in mind that we don't cook things to death the way many people do, and the way you have to for supermarket meat, so we're not afraid if it's on the rare/medium-rare side.  We like that.

After the chops were cooked, I shut off the heat and put a lid on.  This steaming allowed the chops to finish cooking, which was done for about 7-8 minutes.  At that time they were removed, placed in a warming drawer and a Rouxquick roux was made by adding a little more butter and flour to the pan drippings.  This was served over the chops, on top of a turkey-broth risotto, grilled zucchini and fresh collards.

Yeah, so, how was it? I mean, it's hard to describe how amazing this experience was for Liz and me.  We both just exclaimed "wow" on the first bite.  I never hear Liz say something like that (unless it's dark chocolate), but you just couldn't help yourself. In a way, this experience is just as forbidden as chocolate used to be.  These chops just melted in our mouth. Now we understand how to actually have slow food. Food like this makes it easy to savor, to slow down. Most food lends itself to gulping. Not this. This was one of the more memorable, more pleasurable meals of our lives.  Anytime in the past that we would feel that way, it would have more to do with the company or the event, but rarely the food. Still, where can someone even find something like this?

Dinner is ServedWe're looking forward to being part of the answer to that question as we produce more and more Ossabaw pork. Regrettably, I'm not overly optimistic that enough other farmers are lining up to do so, in part due to the low yields and slow growth of the pig.  But it's worth the wait, as connoisseurs of Spanish ham can attest.  We raise Berkshires, Ossabaws and, starting next month, Large Blacks.  The Berkshires taste great, but, for us, they don't compare to the Ossabaw.

Oh, and by the way, if you're wondering, there was ZERO detection of boar taint.