About our Red Wattle Hogs
Red Wattle hogs are known for hardiness, foraging activity, and rapid growth rate. They produce lean meat that has been described as flavorful and tender. The sows are excellent mothers, farrow litters of 10 – 15 piglets, and provide good quantities of milk for their large litters. They have mild temperaments and love to play with people. Red Wattles adapt to the cold weather in NY. Their active foraging makes them a good choice for consideration in outdoor or pasture-based swine production.
Red Wattles need all the care and freedom we give them — they need the outdoor pasture to run around and dig food from. As a result, even though the pork is famed for its flavor, they are now classed as a threatened breed by The Livestock Conservancy.
Why the pork is so good
The flavor is rich, herbaceous, even a little sweet. It packs more flavor than I’ve ever had in a pork chop. The crowning glory of Red Wattle pork, however, is its fat. It marbles the meat and wraps the chop in a soft, opaque band. When cooked it melts within the meat and softens its edge to a luscious, lip-smacking bite. This is melt-in-your mouth fat, the kind of succulent experience you expect in great steaks and some cured meats. It’s never a sensation I’d experienced in a pork chop until I met this one.
The pork comes from hogs that are raised impeccably. The pigs are not confined, have access to the outdoors, and never receive antibiotics or hormones. This lifestyle is good for the pigs, but it doesn’t make for uniform pork—the chops may vary a bit from piece to piece, rather than being identical.
