Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Whole Hog Class January 29th

There will be a class held in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood on January 29th, 8AM to 4PM, about how to break down pigs, render lard, cut up the carcass and cure the meat and fat.

The instructor will be Christoph Wiesner and his wife. Christoph is the President of the Austrian Mangalitsa Breeders' Association. He makes his living breeding and fattening Mangalitsa, slaughtering them and processing them. Here you can see him showing how to roast a pig.

This might be their last class here.

Although the Hungarians created the Mangalica, it was Christoph Wiesner who exported Mangalitsa pigs all over the world. He was the first to export Mangalitsa breeding stock to the Western Hemisphere (and Wooly Pigs is still the only company in the Western Hemisphere with Mangalitsa breeding stock).

Additionally, Christoph exported Austrian ways of fattening and processing Mangalitsa. Those who raise Mangalitsas tap into a network of people, led by Christoph, who help them produce the best Mangalitsa products possible. Without Christoph Wiesner's efforts, Wooly Pigs wouldn't exist - we wouldn't have the genetics or expertise required to do what we do.

E.g. Wooly Pigs's first sale was of specially fattened hogs to the French Laundry. It was only possible to produce them because of what Christoph taught me.

Seeing them in Seattle is the next best thing to visiting them in Austria. If you'd like to attend, please contact me.

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