[shetlandpaul]

im sure there was bacon like that in booths supermarket. think of some continental hams they have loads of fat. i wonder if you coul render any spare bacon fat for roast potatoes. i surpose it would be very salty. shetlands give nice joints for the smaller family and are cheap.

[Pel]

Thats really good Hairy hogs, glad you can sell it. I think I just live in a poor part of wales and the farmers are always being said to have tight pockets (cardi folk). Sheltands are good, and very nice to handle too, seem popular with my clients. I'm a Mrs rather than a sir  Though the lamb I buy to eat are Badger face, moutain raised on the Llyn. I didnt mean to offend your bacon as I'm sure it does taste great.

[Tudful Tamworths]

The bacon looks fantastic, but I can see why you might get some negative comments. It's difficult to change the way people think about fat, bearing in mind that, for the past 50 years or so, commercial pork/bacon production has been all about lean meat.

I've just started curing my own bacon (had it cured by "professionals" and it was either too salty or horrendously expensive - and never quite right) and I'm over the moon with the results.

Interestingly, I sent off an Oxford Sandy & Black gilt aged 8 months at the same time as a Tamworth boar aged 5 months - the OSB destined for bacon and the Tamworth for pork. The OSB meat came back incredibly lean (well, say 1cm to 1.5cm of back fat) compared to the Tamworth! The OSB has made some incredible bacon - even the belly could have passed for back bacon!

Very impressed with the fact that you can run OSBs on for so long without them laying down too much fat (first time I've tried them) and would recommend to anyone thinking of rearing for bacon. Saying that, the abattoir wasn't too happy with the amount of de-hairing they had to do!

[Hairy Hogs]

Hi Liz

I have to say the bacon is lovely and this thread has sparked some good ole fashioned debate, but we, like you are rather keen on running Oxfords for bacon now, and Saddlebacks rather than large blacks.  We had some of our Oxfords 'wasted' on pork last November, and I must say the fat contenet was as you say minimal.  Flavour was amazing however.

Thnaks Pel for clarifying the 'sir' bit

regards
Jason
www.hairyhogs.co.uk