Heritage breed vs Store-bought pork for smoking

[Odysseus]

If you've ever had heritage breed bacon or pork chops, you know that the mass produced pork from brands like Smithfield, etc. that you find in the grocery store don't even come close in flavor. But with smoking, you are imparting so much smoke flavor to the meat, I wonder if you could even tell the difference between heritage breed and store-bought. Does anyone have any firsthand experience with this? For smoking, is heritage breed worth 2-3 times the price?

 

[chilerelleno]

Many will tell you, "Hell yeah!", and a few will say, "Hell no!"
It's not something I'd over season or douse in BBQ sauce.
It's like other fine breeds/cuts, less can be more.

Lets not forget feral hogs, of course not everyone has the means, opportunity or location to hunt them.
But feral hogs are as good or better as any Heritage breed, especially when they've been feeding on prime foods like acorns, peanuts and etc.
The big plus is that they can be just about free for the taking on public lands and taken year'round.

 

[Odysseus]

Good call on the feral hogs!

 

[pc farmer]

What is considered heritage?

 

[chilerelleno]

What is considered heritage?

Some of these breeds are in critical danger of becoming extinct, primarily the first four listed, the next four are considered threatened.
Choctaw

Meishan

Mulefoot

Ossabaw Island

Gloucestershire Old Spots

Guinea Hog

Large Black

Red Wattle

Tamworth

Hereford

Saddleback

https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/conservation-priority-list#Pigs

 

[Odysseus]

Heritage breeds are kinda like heirloom vegetables. They don't grow as fast, don't grow as big, have smaller litters, but they taste better. They are old breeds (the breeds we had over 100 years ago before large-scale commercial breeding). Many of them are actually considered endangered now.

Berkshire, Gloucester Old Spot, Red Wattle, Tamworth, Mulefoot, are some of the ten or so recognized heritage breeds.

https://livestockconservancy.org/images/uploads/docs/PigChart2016.pdf

 

[Odysseus]

Dang, Chilirelleno beat me to it

 

[chilerelleno]

But lets face the facts, if you raise any of these breeds in the same manner as any of the commercial hog breeds are being farmed, then they're going to taste much the same.
The key differences are genetic disposition to fat content and muscle structure, level of activity/environment and food.

 

[pc farmer]

My son just showed a hereford this week at the local fair. I need to get 2 more next year, one to show and one to butcher.

 

[JckDanls 07]

I'de like to hear Pops view...

 

[jcam222]

I splurge on Berkshire pork belly and believe it’s better. I find it meatier and richer. I also occasionally buy nice Berkshire pork chops. The meat is a much richer red full flavor pork. In my area some of the Kroger carry it from Saddleberk Farms.