grass fed pork? page 3

[Owly]

I'm also looking at ordering either a whole or half pig from that local farm I mentioned. It's cheaper to get the whole pig, but I need to see if any of our friends will go in on it, otherwise it will be too much meat along with the elk and bison we're already getting shares in.

[Leanne]

Forest fed pork depends on the area. New England/ Eastern Canada might have more as the pigs roam and eat acorns and mushrooms and roots. West coast forests are more acidic and the pigs wouldn't find as much that they can live off properly. Pasteurized pigs usually get the traditional "slops" of veggies, milk, sometimes potatoes and corn still on the cob. I am thinking because they eat the cob and all it would be better than dried corn feed.

I knew a guy in Alberta who had a bumper crop of potatoes one year and couldn't get rid of them all, so he just kept feeding them to the pigs but never gave them anything else. The pork ended up tasting like old potato. Not so great. The more diverse the diet the better the flavour!

[tangentrider]

Enjoying tasty pastured pork, slow-cooked with curry powder and yellow onion--pastured makes a big difference in flavor!

[Ransom]

I'm looking to get some pork fat for rendering lard - I asked about pastured pork when I called whole foods and they told me that they get the pork from Canada and it's too cold to pasture them. Therefore, they are kept in a human environment, given no anitbiotics or hormones, and are vegetarian fed. Is vegetarian fed the same thing in this case and is it as close as I'm going to get to pastured? I doubt HEB will even have that so that's why I thought to go with Whole Foods. Thanks!

[breadsauce]

Hi - pork lover here from UK. I get my pork from a butcher who sells free range, organic pork.It has eaten roots, tubers, insects, as well as the food he gives it - slops! which doesn't sound good, but is OK really.

You live in the Midlands, I seem to remember? Google organic pig farmers in your area, ring them up and ask if the pigs are free range and what they eat. The O6 / O3 ratio won't be brilliant but they a superb source of so much more - so them and fish at times should keep you fine!

I'm having free range belly pork (one of the cheaper cuts, with ace crackling) for Sunday lunch.

I have to find a good source near the narrow boat - which is near to Northampton. When I find some, RockstarEddy, you're welcome to come to the boat to sample some and have a cruise on the canal!

[rockstareddy]

Where do you live? The narrow boat is really close to where im from! Im not living there atm, but will be back there when I move back from uni to live with my parents

[Owly]

I'm looking to get some pork fat for rendering lard - I asked about pastured pork when I called whole foods and they told me that they get the pork from Canada and it's too cold to pasture them. Therefore, they are kept in a human environment, given no anitbiotics or hormones, and are vegetarian fed. Is vegetarian fed the same thing in this case and is it as close as I'm going to get to pastured? I doubt HEB will even have that so that's why I thought to go with Whole Foods. Thanks!

Sounds like WF is feeding you a line. It is too cold for full-time pasturing here in the winter, but in the warmer months, pigs can definitely be pastured in Canada! We are not an Arctic wasteland year-round. I get pastured pork from a local farmer. His pigs are outdoors for much of the year but have appropriate shelter for bad weather and a warm home in cold weather. If that can happen where I am (central Alberta) then it can definitely happen in other parts of the country like southern Ontario or Quebec, which do not see the same kind of cold that we do here.

[Acteon]

Jamòn Iberico comes close:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam%C3%B3n_ib%C3%A9rico

Immediately after weaning, the piglets are fattened on barley and maize for several weeks. The pigs are then allowed to roam in pasture and oak groves to feed naturally on grass, herbs, acorns, and roots, until the slaughtering time approaches.

After they get them off the barley and maize they are essentially grass fed. This kind of ham is expensive though.

[slowcooker]

I wanted to bump this thread. Just how bad is the 3/6 ratio of pastured pig? I've been eating it a ton and am ordering a half pig soon. I'm hoping someone will say that even though the ratio is bad - the amount of PUFA in pastured pork is small.. It's just so yummy!

[SlowPoke2320]

I'm looking to get some pork fat for rendering lard - I asked about pastured pork when I called whole foods and they told me that they get the pork from Canada and it's too cold to pasture them. Therefore, they are kept in a human environment, given no anitbiotics or hormones, and are vegetarian fed. Is vegetarian fed the same thing in this case and is it as close as I'm going to get to pastured? I doubt HEB will even have that so that's why I thought to go with Whole Foods. Thanks!

No, vegetarian fed is not the same thing. It just means that the pigs are not eating scrap parts of other animals. However, grain is "vegetarian" by those standards. This description could easily mean that these pigs spend most of their lives indoors chowing on corn.