The art of Charcuterie is synonymous with fat. Guinea Hogs high fat content is excellent for charcuterie. Pork fat provides incredible flavor and a melt-in-your mouth texture and experience. The fat holds most of the flavor! The fat can convey information on the breed, diet, and lifestyle.. whether it had adequate exercise, good diet, life outdoors, and more. Animal fats are known to have nutrients that help protect the body from cancer and heart disease. In hogs and cows, yellowish fat can indicate a good diet of healthy pasture due to the carotenoids found in grass. Animals that are allowed exercise and to grow at a slower pace usually have better fat distribution and marbling.

When “improved” or “standardized” breeds became the modern industrial hog, the fat was bred out and they became more lean. There became less of a consumer demand for fat and more for lean meat due to the idea that saturated fats were bad for you. It created a terrible trend where animal fats became replaced with hydrogenated and processed fats as well as sugar. You can see this today with “fat free” yogurts, milks, and more that have exorbitant amounts of sugar. “Low Fat” diets have been associated with increased rates of depression and fatigue and hydrogenated oils such as margarine are far worse for your body than high quality animal fats.

The Different Types of Fat within the Hog

  1. Subcutaneous Fat
  2. Inter-muscular Fat
  3. Leaf or Cavity Fat

Subcutaneous Fat

  • This fat resides below the skin. Thick layer of fat that are evident on outside of loins, shoulder, and leg muscles
  • Helps keep meat juicier and tender
  • This is the fat that is usually used in sausage making!
  • Can be rendered

Inter-muscular Fat

  • This is the layers of fat that separate muscles from one another
  • Softer than other fats and can be rendered
  • Also known as the interior fat or marbling

Leaf or Cavity Fat

  • This is the fat that is surrounding the organs
  • Harvested from abdominal cavities of whole animals– clings loosely to organs and body
  • Usually used for rendering– the brittle crystalline structure of leaf fat yeilds flaky pastries and biscuits. Used for baking and cooking.