[Jackie]

Which is the best tasting pork?

I know a few top chefs in London reccomend Middle whites (AWT breeds them), Ive heard that Tamworth meat is good but which is the best?


I fancy having OSB because they seem to be easier to handle but its no good if they dont taste wonderful.

[JulieS]

GOS.....definitely my favourite - taste and temperament.   

[spursman]

People who had our Saddleback / Large Black cross said how nice all of the cuts were. Personally I would prefer Berkshires. I suspect if they are kept well and allowed free range there would be little difference between any British rare breed.

[Hilarysmum]

All of them.  Although my absolute favourite is GOSxTam.  Out of this world. 

[Daisys Mum]

I had 2 pietrains which were kept outdoors with lots of room to graze etc and the meat from them was absolutely brilliant and very lean, I was very sceptical at first as they are commercial breed and usually crossed. I think a great deal has to be in the way they are kept. They were also huge!

[garden cottage]

ours were gos cross berkshire which was superb, lovely flavour

[chickenfeed]

 :pig:we keep OSB's and british lops both make great meat we are going to have a OSB made into bacon in the next few weeks this will be a first as we have only ever had saddlebacks for bacon.

we have had other breeds and as said any of the british rare breeds make great pork.

[Malc]

It's all a matter of personal taste, I suspect. Any rare breed pig, fed and cared for properly, will produce good quality pork. Our Saddlebacks are hard to beat, although we had a couple of Old Spots/Tamworth crosses this winter which were superb.

[Jackie]

Yeh it seems to be personal taste.  and trial and error.

Im going to be buying 4 weaners hopefully this spring so I may just try 4 different breeds then after tasting the meat stick with just 1 breed frm then on.

1 OSB
2 MiIddle White (thank you Chefs)
3 GOS
4 Berkshire

Id love to try Tamworth but that breed tends to escape so Im told by daughters in laws who breed them. Besides hubby thinks full grown pigs are the approx size of our german shepherd dogs so I dont want to shock him too much with the size of Tamworths. 

[ukag0972]

I'm a tamworth girl!!
Or anything crossed with a tamworth!!
Yummy!

[gavo]

Give the TAMS a chance they really don't escape much and we've been keeping them for years. They are amazing animals so very clever and easy to handle ;and the best bacon ever.

[Wizard]

Hello Jackie I firmly believe there is no such thing.I am prepared to bet you sixpence you would rate mine bottom.We always grew the pig onto 35/40 score always chinned it That way there is at least 3" of fat on the meat.We always dry salt cured it and hung it in bacon bags.I can hear you saying thats not pork fool.Well when we kill the pig we select a couple of nice pieces along with the trimmings for the offal use (sausage Haslet Black puddings etc;) This couple of bits has to be used up in the month or it goes off.The bones from the flitch's make a wonderful roast dinner meat but they wont keep.A rib bone from a 800lb pig measures 11/2" across and it needs to be cut in half to get it in the drippin tin.Nothing like you pay the earth for in Tesco and Sainsbury as bar-b-cue ribs puny little tiny things. I'll still bet you wouldn't like it

[Jackie]

Oh no Wizard you are sooo wrong. I love pork fat on the meat and regularly go and buy pigs fat to render down as drippin. Im planning to smoke cure the fat and then fry it, heaven! For those that dont know this fat is not like lard its like soft meat but white.

 I will ask the slaughter house to save the blood as Ill make black puds plus the head for brawn and dog food, liver, lights for haggis etc.

The only thing thats gonna be wasted on my pigs is the 'oink'.

[Wizard]

Hells bells Jackie Do you look like me 2 cwt in my nuddie lol There are a few grown round here to my spec but its rare the housewife don't want it you know.Its nothing to do with costing twice as much to get a pig like you and I like em.Since I am over 70 yrs old I don't go to work every day and have pack-up.Right lass bake some loaves today for tomorrow forget the crust for now slice the loaf into 3/4" slices slice enough fat bacon to stick out the sandwich all round make some thin Colemans Mustard (Not this bought rubbish the real thing ) Lather the fat bacon with it and put a slice of bread on top.Take two in your lunch box When its lunch time take one out and your pocket knife and cut a piece off eat it until its all gone then start yer apple pie Wot a decent apple pie is 9" long and a 11/2" thick.Wesh it down wi a cuppa kode T Hows that grab ya.Done it day after day when I worked and some would say I don't know how you can eat that makes me ill to watch you.Yer right thats why I keep hevin time off cos av got flu intit.Can you remember last time I was off badly.You were off 4 days last week wi what you called flu. lolNow what do you think they would say to the crusts well lathered in drippin from Sundays beef wi all the black bits and a good shakkin of salt on? I got 1/2 a pigs head and a couple of trotters plus a slice of shin and made a couple of souse for Christmas dint last long though when they found it Regards  George

[Jackie]

Now, now George fancy asking a lady what she looks like in the nuddie lol

They are my type of sarnies, thick pork fat with so much mustard it stings your nose and starts it running lol and yes I do get the drippin from the Sunday roasting tin plus all the crusty tasty bits. Yum
Have you tried fresh crusty bread with 1/2 inch of cold butter sprinkled with salt? Oooh yummmy! With stong cheddar or mature stilton and home made pickled onions!!!

Funnily enough Im very healthy too with low blood presure and a healthy heart, but the doctor has mentioned in passing "jackie dont eat so much strong cheese and meat it isnt good for you." I didnt go to the doctor cos I was ill as such, but just to see if I could have a hernia op. I cant remember last time I was ill.