Advice Please: Heritage Pork Cooking: "Large Black" aka Cornwall, Devon, and Lop-eared Black

RL Reeves Jr · Jan 19, 2013

I've contracted with a local farm to purchase a variety of cuts off their "Large Black" hog stock. This breed also goes by the names Cornwall, Devon, and Lop-eared Black.

I have full access to a professional kitchen with all normal implements as well as a sous vide that can accommodate a 10lb shoulder.

Also have a variety of smokers, WSM as well as a pro unit that can hold 32 briskets.

I'm getting bellies, shoulders and loins.

Any advice from brethren who's worked with this specific breed of pork would be most appreciated.

Hawg Father of Seoul · Jan 19, 2013

They are lard type pigs. You chose decent cuts off that pig.

My advice (not what you are looking for) is to get the leaf lard from the pig. Google if you do not know what I am talking about.

Confit > sous vide

IamMadMan · Jan 19, 2013

Hawg Father of Seoul said:
They are lard type pigs. You chose decent cuts off that pig.

My advice (not what you are looking for) is to get the leaf lard from the pig. Google if you do not know what I am talking about.

Confit > sous vide

Sounds like a lot of flavor... pork-belly-confit Thanks for sharing the Google info..

RL Reeves Jr · Jan 19, 2013

Hawg Father of Seoul said:
They are lard type pigs. You chose decent cuts off that pig.

My advice (not what you are looking for) is to get the leaf lard from the pig. Google if you do not know what I am talking about.

Confit > sous vide

I only fry in leaf lard. Got a few local sources. Makes the finest french fries on earth. Also hoping to get some of the liver off this beast to make some boudin.

We're doing a heritage pork themed pop up restaurant with all the meat. Been cooking professionally for over 20 years and have used a variety of breeds just never "Large Black"

Thanks for the advice y'all.

Hawg Father of Seoul · Jan 19, 2013

Okay, if you got chops... Grab the shanks and do an osso bucco. Brine first with some juniper berries and mace. Finish by frying in the leaf lard.

Key is that the shank is worked differently than on a pig with a large ham. With the large ham the "movement" of the pig is dominated by a "drive" from the rear end.

They also have incredible jowls. Make a grunicale for your antipasti.

RL Reeves Jr · Jan 19, 2013

Hawg Father of Seoul said:
Okay, if you got chops... Grab the shanks and do an osso bucco. Brine first with some juniper berries and mace. Finish by frying in the leaf lard.

Key is that the shank is worked differently than on a pig with a large ham. With the large ham the "movement" of the pig is dominated by a "drive" from the rear end.

They also have incredible jowls. Make a grunicale for your antipasti.

Got an email in to see if the farm will part with some jowls. Leaning toward doing a porchetta with the loin and one of the bellies, obviously one of the bellies will be converted into bacon. Going to slice off 6 oz hunks when it comes out of the cure and sous vide those then finish them on a flame grill.
You're a wealth of info, thank you.

RL Reeves Jr · Jan 20, 2013

The farm has agreed to provide us with the offal too. Liver, kidneys, heart etc. Really excited to be working with the "nasty bits" any tips or thoughts on preparing the offal from a "large black" breed hog.

We'll be making a few dozen links of boudin with the liver.

RL Reeves Jr · Jan 21, 2013

Secured a few dozen chunks of aged Bastrop county oak and picked up my pink salt for the bellies. Plans are coming together on the big cook.

JohnHB · Jan 21, 2013

Guanciale is cured pork jowl. It is dead easy to make same process as pancetta. It is prized in Italian cooking. I use it as lardons cooked until crisp then use the fantastic fat for cooking rest of ingredients.
John

Boshizzle · Jan 21, 2013

That all sounds sooooo freakin' good! I wish I wasn't so far away. I'd like to try some of that pork you are cooking!

RL Reeves Jr · Jan 23, 2013

I'm an avid home curer but have never tackled guanciale-eaten my body weight in it but never made it myself. Visiting the farm tomorrow to meet the hog!

Hawg Father of Seoul · Jan 23, 2013

Just say NO to the pink salt. You don't need it.

Try making some bacon with and without. Bet you agree with me after. Try ploping a piece of that belly in that leaf lard and one in the sous vide. Bet you agree with me on that one also.

A real trick is to use oil instead of water for the sous vide. Your equipment will have to be able to handle it, but the results are there. (of course it would still be cryo'd)

RL Reeves Jr · Jan 23, 2013

I used to make bacon without the pink salt but I switched. The version with pink is way rosier looking. Isn't pink salt just sodium with a little nitrite added to it? If you've got a minute please vet my ongoing project http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/How-To-Make-Your-Own-Bacon I'm wide open on any new or old techniques. I want this Large Black meat to be treated as good as possible cause it's expensive as hell.

JohnHB · Jan 24, 2013

Pink salt is not absolutely necessary if you are planning to eating bacon in a reasonable short time AND you do not care about the colour. Pink salt no 1 is salt with 6% sodium nitrite added. That is the recommended scuring salt on products that are going to be cooked after curing.
John

RL Reeves Jr · Jan 25, 2013

We visited the farm where the hogs are living. They're eating better than me. About 10 of em were working their way through a trailer load of bok choy, sweet potatoes and cabbage from Johnson's Backyard Gardens, the biggest organic veg purveyor in Texas.

We met the hog who's fate has been sealed and he's a good 600lbs. Looking at getting about 80lbs of meat off of him for the cook. We're employing the big iron pit, a circulator, ovens and fry pans to feed the crowd.

MisterChrister · Jan 25, 2013

If I had the knowledge and supply that you farkers have, I guarantee I'd be the size of that pig you saw today!

MS2SB · Jan 25, 2013

This sounds like its going to be an epic cook. Can't wait to see the pics.

RL Reeves Jr · Jan 26, 2013

Testing the circulator today. Got to take it for a spin before we press it into service for the big cook.

RL Reeves Jr · Feb 12, 2013

Here's the menu for the food party we threw this past weekend. thanks for all the suggestions y'all. We sold out of food in about 2 hours

Bacon Steak (cured & smoked heritage pork belly, confit w/duck fat) pork demi glace, chicharron gremolata (hog dust,parsley, garlic,lemon zest) sweet potato mash w/Vermont maple, brussels sprouts w/caramelized Texas sweet onion, Easy Tiger bread

Porchetta (heritage pork belly,handmade chorizo,roasted) pork demi glace, chicharron gremolata (hog dust,parsley, garlic, lemon zest) sweet potato mash w/Vermont maple, brussels sprouts w/caramelized Texas sweet onion, Easy Tiger bread

Pork Loin (heritage pork-sous vide,cast iron) pork demi glace, chicharron gremolata (hog dust,parsley,garlic,lemon zest) sweet potato mash w/Vermont maple, brussels sprouts w/caramelized Texas sweet onion, Easy Tiger bread

Pork Shoulder Steak (heritage pork-sous vide,cast iron) pork demi glace, chicharron gremolata (hog dust,parsley, garlic,lemon zest) sweet potato mash w/Vermont maple, brussels sprouts w/caramelized Texas sweet onion, Easy Tiger bread

Chile Colorado (heritage pork,pork stock,red chiles,masa,garlic,hominy) totopos

Boudin Sausage (pork, beef, green onion,jalapeno,rice) crackers

BobBrisket · Feb 12, 2013

WOW! Could you give a bit more detail on that chicharron gremolata? Sounds GOOD! Those are some major league menus right there!

Advice Please: Heritage Pork Cooking: "Large Black" aka Cornwall, Devon, and Lop-eared Black

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is one Smokin' Farker

somebody shut me the fark up.

Knows what a fatty is.

is Blowin Smoke!

Knows what a fatty is.

is one Smokin' Farker

Knows what a fatty is.

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is Blowin Smoke!

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