Healthy, good, ethical and uncompromising meat

The meat of our Grigio del Casentino® pigs has an exceptional taste for at least three reasons:

• Genetics. Grigio del Casentino is a crossbreed of Large White and Cinta Senese pigs. From the former, it inherited the size. From the latter, the significant amount of marbled fat and predisposition to outdoor life.
• Natural life. Our pigs are genetically predisposed to live in semi-free range conditions, and that’s how we raise them among the woods in Casentino. Here they feed on what nature has to offer according to the seasons, without drugs or antibiotics that accelerate growth.
• Artisanal processing method. Our products are simple and genuine, like those our grandparents used to make. No “cheating” is allowed, as we call it, meaning no preservatives, dyes, additives or stabilizers. Time, humidity, temperature: these are the only tools we use.

The last two things are not necessarily connected. There are ethical farms that respect the animals’ lives, but when it comes to processing meat into cured meats and sausages, they don’t hesitate to use some help from chemistry to limit risks during aging.

And there are also cured meats made only with natural ingredients. Too bad, however, that the pigs are from intensive breeding, raised in cages two meters long and filled with antibiotics. Excellent procedures, perhaps, but on a raw material of poor quality.

Our project is different because we have a comprehensive vision that spans from the birth of the pig to the labeling of each single product. There is no before and after slaughtering, because everything that happens during the animal’s life influences taste and quality.

A natural choice

Grigio del Casentino is a hybrid pig, the result of crossing Large White and Cinta Senese breeds. As we have seen in our tribute to fat, our Grigio has inherited an important fat component from the Cinta. It cannot be raised in an intensive breeding system because its fat would become excessive.

Extensive breeding is the best choice for this animal, the only one able to protect both its well-being and the quality of the meat at the same time. The lives of our pigs are healthy because they take place in their natural habitat, respecting their growth times, only with natural feeding.

We slaughter animals that are at least 14 months old and have experienced an entire cycle of seasons. Furthermore, we do not administer drugs except for the vaccine required by law by the local health authority.

Our pigs live in total connection with nature and you can perfectly taste it in the meat. The most experienced palates may even recognize the scents of mushrooms, chestnuts and fruits through their meat.

A processing method that doesn’t seek shortcuts

For a quality product, an exceptional raw material is needed. The quality of the meat is, obviously, the first requirement for premium cured meats. Only if the pig has lived well, for a sufficient time, with a healthy feeding and without drugs, will the finished product truly be good.

A small clarification: good, for us, doesn’t just mean tasty and flavorful. It means produced in a respectful, ethical, and sustainable way. That’s why we firmly believe the supply chain is fundamental and dedicate the utmost attention to the lives of our pigs, not just to the processing of their meat.

We’ve made a “radical” choice. In our products, we only want natural ingredients and no allergens. No preservatives or dyes: our products do not last like those of large-scale retailers and are not fluorescent pink, but they contain all the authentic taste of pork. We don’t use additives or stabilizers because, simply put, Grigio del Casentino® meat is perfect as it is.

Working only with time, humidity and temperature involves considerable risk. If the batch doesn’t turn out perfectly, we can’t “fix it” in any way, and this also results in a financial loss. Not the easiest path, indeed, but certainly our path, the one we’ve chosen for our authentic, sincere and genuine project.

Superior quality

Grigio del Casentino® meat is exceptional, and – as we have just seen – there are several reasons for it. The first is the “birth” from the crossing of Large White and Cinta Senese breeds, a crossbreed that generates a perfect animal in terms of meat yield.

The type of breeding too affects the quality of the meat. For high-quality products, animals must be raised in a healthy, respectful way that preserves their well-being. We raise them in a semi-free range, the only way to enhance their natural qualities, ensure their welfare and pursue an ethical and sustainable project.

The choice to use only natural ingredients respects the purity of this meat. Healthy, ethical and sustainable goodness from the wood to the plate!