BREEDS APARTFOOD BIZ CHEFS ARE ONCE AGAIN LEADING THE CHARGE FOR IMPROVING FLAVOR PROFILES-

THIS TIME IN THE REVIVAL OF BERKSHIRE PORK, RED BOURBON TURKEYS, AND OTHER STRAINS OF ANIMALS

RAISED AT A TIME WHEN TASTE WAS WHAT MATTERED MOST. KATY KEIFFER REPORTS.

Heritage breeds, OMG, therate so trendy right now. It's Berkshire

pork, or more exciting, the Red Wattle, the Tamworth, Red

Bourbon turkeys, or Buff Orpington chickens... belted Galloway

cattle or Limousin veal. With romantic names like these, no

wonder they're all over menus. However, there's much morc at

stake here than JUSt promoting the next big thing. The revival of

"heritage breeds,~ perhaps an already overworn term, is part of a

fundamental change in our food culture. As always, this movement

is being driven by chefs and will prove invaluable for all meat eaters,

no matter where they are dining.

heritage breed pigs, he's a staunch supporter of the importance of

maintaining the breeding stock of all the herirage breeds so that

essential qualities are not lost in the rush to make a buck.

Many heritage breeds, such as the Red \'Qattle pig, the Buckeye

chicken, or the Pineywoods cow are very close to extinction, thanks

to the economic dictates ofthe commercial marketplace. Identifying

and preserving the desirable characteristics of specific breeds have

helped to revive interest in them among farmers and consumers.

Fernando Maillo of the venerable Serrano ham company Monte

Nevado, went in search of a smaller ham to create a gift-sized

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Animal breeds have always been selected for specific traits such as

yielding better bacon, more marbling, or larger size carcasses. Most

commercial protein producers already breed for what they consider

the ideal traits. Typically those include rapid growth, prolific

breeding, and hardy constitutions. In the face of the economics

of raising commercial protein, flavor is often very low on this list

of desirable qualities. The metamorphosis of pork from succulent

and tasey is a perfect example of the unfortunate consequences of

breeding for a single dominant trait, such as leaner meat.

Commercial hog farming, or what Paul Willis of Niman Ranch

calls "chickenizing the pork business," really picked up speed in the

1980s and '90S with concentrated animal feeding operations, or

CAFOs, though confinement was certainly not new. Willis started

raising his pigs outside as they had been for centuries. Then, he

began experimenting with genetics, taking different qualities from

different hogs in order to improve the key characteristics of flavor

and texture, as well as advantageous qualities such as big litters,

good maternal instincts, and rapid growth. Though he docs not sell

"

product for the ham-loving Spaniards. In Hungary he discovered

the Mangalica, an ancient breed that had nearly disappeared. He

arranged to have Hungarian farmers produce the breed in numbers

sufficient for his needs. The Mangalica almost perfectly resembles

the very large lberico, save for a more petite size, so the hams are

little, just right for agift. Aperfect example ofhow a specific genetic

quality served a specific consumer need and revived a dying breed.

Heath Putnam of Wooly Pigs is breeding and selling Mangalica

pigs in Auburn, Washington. His breeding stock is now being sold to

other producers, who then supply restaurants. Because the Mangalica

is a very fatty pig, it lends itself to cured products in a way that the

Yorkshire pig, one of the most common breeds here, does not. The

ability to work with the pigas charcuterie makes it more economical.

The Mangalica also yields a delicious medium-rare roasted loin and

a braised leg or shoulder, according to chef Michael Clampffer

at Mosefund Farm, a private equine facility in Branchville, New

Jersey. Clampffer recently hosted a tasting of Putnam's Mangalica.

Mosefund Farm, which is now raising its own herd of Mangalica, is

FOOD ARTS APRIL2009

Mute perfect poultry: a Rbode Island Red. Photo by Robert Oowilng/Corbls.

the brainchild of investment banker Chris Anderson, who dedded

to set out to find and breed a pig that he and omers could truly enjoy

eating. He contracted with Heath [0 buy MangaIicaand raise them in

NewJersey, making them more accessible to the local chef culrure.

Gilbert Burler, president of Burler Capital .Management,

has also gonen into rhe game of preserving rare breeds. Deeplyinvolved in environmental causes on many fronts, Burler maintains

the sustainably correct Potato Hill Farm near Utica, New York.

Among other animals, he has a herd of Welsh Black Mountain

sheep, an endangered breed. Though his herd is small, he sells the

exceptionally tasty lamb to Patrick Martins of Heritage Foods,

who then gets it into the hands of chefs such as Daniel Boulud."We lose money on them, but we want [0 show the people who

come to the farm how animals should be living," Burler reports.

However, his mission, to educate youth on environmental causes

and to suppOrt specialty breeds, is served on POtatO Hill Farm.Heritage breeds playa key role in the continued and future

success of our food chain by preserving genetic traits that would

otherwise be forever lost with the breed's extinction. The American

Livestock Breed Conservancy is dedicated to helping farmers get

back to the "genetic package" that initially defined a breed. It's

crucial to understand and reproduce the original specimen in orderto use it effectively as a breeding tool. As Marjorie Bender of the

ALBC put it, "Paul Willis knows that he wants some pieces of this,

and some of that, and he puts them together in a very thoughtful

way. His crosses bring in good flavor and hybrid vigor, which is the

strength you get from putting together opposite characteristics."

It's much like heirloom vegetables where farmers want to get

as close to the "original" as possible, but at the same time not findthemselves with product that is ustrained through the sheets" as

they used to say about royalry. Ifthe gene pool is toO small, one seesthe inherent weaknesses of inbreeding such as: inferior spedmens,

weakness, vulnerability to disease, not so good at reproducing,

much like the Hapsburgs. Or to take a more ag-specific example,

consider genetically modified grains that require special pesticides

since their natural antibodies no longer function.

FOOD ARTS APR1L2009

Among restaurant chefs, however, the selection of protein is

frequently based on the dominant flavor trait of a specific breed.

Bender is happy to see that "chefs are discovering the flavors

specific to each breed." Fostering those connections is Chefs

Collaborative, an organization that, among other activities, helps

chefs connect with farmers producing these breeds.Seamus Mullen of Boqueria in New York City, serves a

"pancetta," a square of roasted fat with a narrow streak of meat.

Which pig delivers that high fat content? Among others, the

Ossabaw Island pig. You might wonder as you prepare to dig in,

"Does it come with a defibrillator? Can I order a side of Lipiror?"

Why would anyone want to eat this? Well, because it's delicious­

light and creamy in a totally unexpected way, with a delectable,

slightly sticky caramelized skin. And, as it turns out, nutritionally

it is by no means the bomb you might expect.The quality ofthe fat from these naturally raised heritage breeds

is high in omega-) fatty acids, and thus has a lower cholesterol

footprint. Grass-fed and free-range animals in general are much

healthier for human consumption in all sorts of ways, including

being very high in conjugated lutein acids, a known antioxidant,

as well as boasting much higher vitamin and protein counts. As

Martins of Heritage Foods points out, "Raised indoors, those

genetics do not manifest. Part ofthe components for "heritage" are

the protocols of how they're raised. We should be looking for both,not just genetics divorced from free-range or vice versa."

Inconsistent and inaccurate labeling of breeds has become

a serious problem in the marketing of heritage breeds and is

being addressed by the ALBC and by companies such as Allen

Brothers in Chicago. Todd Hatofr, presidenr of AJlen Brothers,

is adamant about the proper genetic labeling of animals and has

taken numerous steps to ensure that what he sells is exactly what

he says it is. To that end he took the initiative to source sustainablemeadow-raised veal with a specific list of qualities he can count on.

Thanks to a long-sranding relationship with the Wisconsin-based

Strauss Family brand, the two companies entered into a partnership

to produce a heritage-based, sustainably raised veal calf.

Over a period of several years, the Strauss Familyexperimemed

with different strains and crosses in their cattle until they found the

ideal qualities of tenderness and flavor that had largely disappeared

from commercial veal. Together, the Strauss Family and Allen

Brothers have agreed on a proprietary genetic mix that musr include

at least 50 percent of an ancient French breed called Limousin.

According to Lori Dunn, executive director of Pasture RaisedPrograms at Strauss Family, the Limousin cow is a breed dating back

,6,000 years. It's the original "fatted calf," and the Strauss Family

"ensures through a rigorous series of protocols that these animals

are raised as they were hundreds of years ago, on pasture, eating

grass, and nursing. There are no confinement pens." Strauss has

producers all over the country working with this set of protocols,giving them a year-round supply.

Bender notes that breeds should be identified by their names.

"Heritage has to have historicallengrh in the United States for it to

be heritage, or it's a misnomer. If it's Pineywoods cattle, then call it

that. And it must come from purebred stock."The ALBC is trying

to provide the consumer and chefs with something they can rely

on. "The name must be a guarantee of pedigreed stock."

Lastly there's the economic piece to this puzzle, and that is the

hardest to slot into place. Dan Barber of Blue Hill in New York

City and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York,

raised some ~heritage" breed chickens, but it tOok twice as long

from egg to table, more than doubling their cost. He went back

to a hybrid, the Cornish Cross that was developed by the poultry

giant Tyson. Why? Because when this hybrid is raised outdoors on

natural forage, grass, seeds, and insects, it's delicious. As Barber

tells it, ~Chefs bring to the table a Story about the chicken or the

pig or the cattle in terms of history and breed. That allows people

to consider that they're paying for better Ravor, husbandry, and

lineage to justify the higher price. But as a chef you don't want to

be on the side of the fence that advocates S50 birds; it's very elitist.

You have to balance that with feeding the population as a whole."

Mullen justifies his use of heritage breed pigs by wasting

absolutely nothing. He buys the entire animal and is able to

butcher and process its various componentS into products that

work in the context of Spanish cuisine, which uses pork in many

almOSt half ofwhat we produce toJapan," Theiller says. But he also

notes that, though Snake River has further plans to expand their

distribution, ~Our products will never be mainStream due to costs.

The consumer who is looking for that type of product will find us

and pay the premium price."

Like Snake River, other small- to medium-sized farmers are

recognizing that there is a growing public willing to pay a premium

price for an outStanding experience. John Ubaldo of John Boys

Mountain View Farm in Cambridge, New York, raises a variery

of specialty breed chickens, such as the Rhode Island Red, the

Barred Rock, and the Araucana, along with his Berkshire pigs. "I

like to stick with heritage breeds for Ravor and meat quality as in

my Berkshires. They all take longer to raise, breed, et cetera, but I

believe the Ravor and texture are unmatched."

Bev Eggleston, who runs Eco Friendly Foods in Moneta,

VLrginia, brought up a key point in the relationship between chefs

and farmers. "\'Qe're asking chefs to buy and organize and facilitate

farmers and processors before they need it. Can you order the

cow or pig a little further in advance? If chefs can give us letters

of intent, contractual agreements, or deposits, that will help us

to expand. Hey, it takes two years to grow a cow!" Letting fanners

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different forms. Keith Luce at The Herbfarm in Woodinville,

\X!ashington, who is raising Mangalica, points out, "The number of

prime cuts, chops, loin, and tenderloin from one animal is a very

small percentage of the total protein that animal produces."

Martins says, "The chefs' challenge is to make all the cutS

accessible financially. Better use of product makes it easier to pay

for the higher cost of animal husbandry."

Jay Theiler of Snake River Farms in Idaho is fostering the

breeding of the Berkshire pig, also known as the Kurobuta in

Japan. ~The Berkshire," he says, ~do not grow as fast and produce

one or two fewer piglets per litter. They arc not a breed to raise on

a commodity basis because of lower birth I"3tes and lower carcass

weights. And they spend 10 to 15 percent more time on feed than

commercial pig breeds."

Americans are so fixated on the middle meats-steaks, chops,

and hams-that much of the animal cannot be sold here. "\Ve sell

FOOOARl'S APRIL200? ..

know what to expect will help them build a herd, both in numbers

as well as in the characteristics chefs are looking for.

Eggleston also mentions that, unlike commercial producers, when

he makes a delivery he spends some time with the front of the house

doing a Q&A with the servers. Educating servers helps them educate

their custOmers. If restaurants are truly committed to supporting

local agriculture, then they must be able to explain to their cuStomers

why they must pay more for it. Understanding and effectively

communicating that relationship is key to making the sale.

Chefs and operators have an exciting opportunity now to

propel food, and especially protein, into new territory with

consumers. After many years of dozing at the SWitch, consumers

are recognizing that husbandry and agricultural practices have a

direct impact on their health and their environment. That mandate

includes protecting and fostering our agricultural heritage for the

generations to follow. •