I originally missed this article in the NY Times when it came out but came across it after a search. I can't recall when I first came across Mangalitsa. It had to do with some research on low-carbing maybe 3 months ago. This breed of pig kept coming up. Mainly as a favorite of people who were adding additional fat to their diet. And it would get high marks compared to Berhshire/Kurobuta, the reigning king of pork production. Problem is it's tough to find. It's starting to pop up on restaurant menus but that's about it.
DeBragga in NY carries it but as far as I can tell it's an online purchase which I don't really like to do. My other favorite butchers in NY don't carry it.
The pig is largely known for it's slightly different fat production characteristics when compared to other pigs. Namely it produces a ton of fat and it's of a slightly different makeup; less saturated. So it's creamier. My interest stems from wanting to start using Mangalitsa lard as a cooking oil. The more I read on vegetable oils the more I'm beginning to think they perhaps aren't so healthy.
You can see some evidence of the fat production from a picture of the chops. Those are some fatty chops. Those look like they would be tasty after a nice grilling but they would clearly produce some serious lard after a nice rendering. I'll keep on with my search.
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