A tribute to fat, when it’s high-quality

In the last fifty years, we have witnessed a real rejection of fat in pork meat. The cuts of pork meat in supermarkets are all lean, and this is the result of genetic research that has selected the leanest breeds.

However, much of what we obtain from our pigs is precisely fat. Considering that our motto is “everything but the oink,” valuing it is fundamental for respecting the animal and the work behind it.

A key element of our meat

ANAS, the Italian pig breeders association, certified the Grigio as a fattening hybrid in 2022. As we have seen about the birth of the Grigio del Casentino, the regulation establishes that one of the parents must be of Large White breed, while the other of Cinta Senese.

And it is precisely from the Cinta Senese that our pigs have inherited a remarkable “functional” fat component, which is necessary to survive outdoors during the colder months.

Not just a matter of genetics

The matter, in reality, extends beyond the Grigio del Casentino. All pigs that have the gene of an Italian native breed have an important fat component, and for this reason they must be raised in a semi free range. If they were confined in cages, they would accumulate an exaggerated amount of fat.

The involvement of the breeder is fundamental. Our Grigio del Casentino® is a semi-free-range pig: it lives freely in its natural habitat but also receives a percentage of feeding supplementation.

The quantity and quality of supplementation are crucial for the quality of the meat and for the perfect balance between fat and lean. We personally select the supplementation – natural and of high quality, of course – and have established an exact “plan” of feeding.

The animals are divided into five groups based on age, and each group receives a precise amount of supplemental food. Finding the right formula was not easy, but now we manage to have balanced and homogeneous litters, even though the animals live outdoors and are not always under our control.

A signal of animal health

Fat is also an essential element for monitoring meat quality. If the animal has suffered during its life, it shows in the fat after slaughter. If, on the other hand, the fat is nice and white, it means the pig has lived well and the meat it has given us is good, healthy, tasty, and flavorful.

Quality is also evident from the color

In fresh meat, fat should be white tending to pink, but with aging it MUST change color. In cured meats where the fatty component is exposed to air (e.g., cured pork loin, pork leg, pork belly), after thirty days the fat tends to yellow. It’s a different story for cured meats that have fat inside (e.g., salami, sausage, “sbriciolona”), which therefore remains whiter.

To each type of fat corresponds its cured meat

Each anatomical part of the pig has different fat. The cheek fat, for example, is very different from that of the back. The consistency, oiliness, quantity, thickness, and taste change.

The secret to quality cured meats? The right type of fat in the right quantity.

The first thing is to decide, during the meat cutting, which cured meat each type of fat will be used for. Different types are suitable for different processing. Soft fat, for example, is not suitable for aging but is excellent inside sambudello.

The second is to define the percentage of fat. At this stage, the butcher’s hand makes the difference. There are no written rules and each producer follows their own recipe, which also depends on the gastronomic traditions of the area and the tastes of the clientele.

Good, but always to be consumed in moderation

Fat is a filter: if the meat is not healthy because the pigs are not raised well, the fat will be even less so. If, on the other hand, it comes from animals raised in an artful manner, like our pigs raised in a semi free range, it’s a concentration of flavor and fatty acids to be consumed, in any case, without exaggeration. We are the first to say that meat should be eaten with respect and moderation.

Let’s also remember that fat is one of the macronutrients along with carbohydrates and proteins. Not all fats we consume must be of animal origin, but when they are, they must be of the highest quality. Fat must be healthy to not harm our health, and the meat must come from an ethical and sustainable breeding to not harm the planet and the welfare of animals.

The return of fat

The return of fat is a victory for nutrition. It’s an important part of the meat of our animals that we don’t want to waste, but not only that. In terms of taste, this fat – the result of semi-free-range breeding, natural feeding and perfectly calibrated supplementation – is the real plus of our products.