Remember when Granny would save the bacon fat to be used later in her cooking?
Her cooking was soooo good, remember?
Well, this is basically the same thing, only it is made from the fat of a specific, high quality pig called the Berkshire. With more flavor than standard pork, this rendered fat will make any dish you use it with sing!
Berkshire pork comes from a specialty breed of pigs from Berkshire county, England. It is known for its higher level of fat marbling which lends to a tender and more juicy flavor than regular pork. Berkshire pork is often referred to as kurobuta or “black hog” in Japanese, a name given to the pigs when they were first imported to Japan.
Kurobuta pork is the opposite of factory-farmed, commodified pork. Like American Wagyu cattle, Berkshire hogs are genetically predisposed to producing beautifully marbled meat. Marbling means flavor, and Kurobuta pork delivers a robust and rich sensation in every bite. You’ll notice Kurobuta pork has a deeper reddish hue than grocery store pork. That’s a reflection of its naturally higher pH, a product of exceptional marbling and an indicator of deeper flavor. Add to those qualities a closely monitored diet and humane conditions, and you’ve got pork cuts that deliver an unsurpassed dining experience.
Berkshire hogs have been bred and raised in Berkshire county, England for over 400 years. With their distinctive black color and richly hued flesh, Berkshire boars have long been prized as a heritage breed — which means they are raised for exceptional flavor and tenderness, not speed or disease resistance like most commodified animals. Think of them in the same arena as an heirloom tomato.
Berkshire pigs were some of the first imports Japan allowed at the end of its isolationist period in the 1800s. Renamed Kurobuta, which literally translates as “black hog”, their purebred progeny are still raised on the Japanese island of Kyushu, where their full flavor and remarkable juiciness gained acclaim among upscale diners throughout the 20th century.
