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Special & quality ingredients for professional chefs

Larry Motzel

The Wonderful Iberian Pig

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These wonderful animals are a domestic pig native to the Iberian Peninsula also known as Iberia. The land of abundant flavors! The peninsula is mostly divided between Spain and Portugal. This cherished breed is believed to have been brought to the region from what is now Lebanon by the Phoenicians between 1500 and 300 BC. They interbred with the Eurasian Wild Pig and that is the origin of the very special Iberico Pork. The cured hams and shoulders are considered by many to be the very best in the world.

This raw product, that we are so proud to present, comes from our good friends at Chacinerías Salmantinas. They are consistently recognized in Spain, and in fact worldwide, as one of the top Iberico pork producers in all of Spain. The superior flavor of their pigs is the result of more than 50 years of experience, and meticulous, painstaking, and intense attention to detail throughout the entire process. Ardent respect for nature and the well-being of the animals are the cornerstones of the success that this program enjoys.

The climate and landscape of the Iberian Peninsula suits the breed very well. The pigs are raised on wide open pastures where they are constantly moving around. The lush, green grasses and vegetation make excellent grazing fields for them. From September through April the pig’s diet is rich in the highest quality bellotas (acorns) from three distinct types of oak trees maintained and preserved in the region for hundreds of years.

These trees are registered with the Spanish government, as is the spacing and proportion of trees to fields. The achieved objective is no stress and a very comfortable, relaxed environment. This comes from a time when animals were bred, and fed, for flavor.

The Iberico pig is a slow-growing breed, they drop small litters and aren’t particularly good mothers. Pigs today grow as fast as possible, converting feed to muscle very efficiently. They are also bred to be resilient to sickness and multiply rapidly.

The breed is unique in that it has no mechanism to recognize that it is full. Consequently, they don’t stop eating and are given to obesity. This combined with their extensive movement in the pastures, results in a very flavorful, well-marbled meat that must be experienced to fully appreciate. It almost goes without saying that this pork is a special treat and has a very different taste profile than any other domesticated pig you have tasted.

Given these distinctions and the price that Iberico pork fetches in the marketplace, the opportunity for jiggery-pokery exists. Procuring this product from an established, reliable, and transparent source, such as Culinary Classics, just makes good sense for you. And, more importantly, for your guests.

Premium Grass-Fed Beef from Fort McCoy Ranch in a Bit of Old Florida

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Nestled on a cozy 95,000 acres in North Central Florida lies a ranch from days gone by. It is located half way between Ocala and Gainesville. That would be our good friends at Fort McCoy Ranch. They do one thing and they do it very well throughout the entire process. They breed, raise and harvest the finest premium grass-fed, grass-finished beef. That’s right, it is harvested where it is raised, so zero carbon footprint! Many animals actually walk, guided by cowboys on horseback, into the Temple Grandin approved processing facility. (Do you have any idea how many thousands of miles most beef in Florida travels before we get it?) Plus, the facility is pristine, with the highest level of food safety accreditation available. (GFSI recognized BRC Third Party audit.) Said one Chef on a tour, “I’ve seen hospitals that weren’t as clean as that place.”

The 2-mile drive from the front gate to the business offices and processing facility is a majestic drive through beautiful green pastures and old growth forests. There’s deer, eagles, alligators, and we even saw a bear. It is truly beautiful and being there adds years back to your life. It’s old Florida, that you don’t see much of anymore.

Why are they different?

A great deal of time, effort and energy has gone into making a product the way nature, and only nature, would make it. Frank, the owner is focused on animal welfare and minimal stress. He says, “they have 2 good years, and 1 bad day.”

  1. The genetics – they are an Angus strain, with smaller to medium size frames. Large animals don’t fill out well on grass.
  2. Feeding protocols – the animals are moved to different pastures frequently, each with a different, a specifically chosen, type of grass.
  3. Harvest age – all are harvested at under 30 months of age.  

Many, or rather most, grass fed operations cut corners, like paying little or no attention to feed protocols (e.g. bahia grass grows well and is low maintenance, but imparts a bitter flavor to the beef). The animals are not finished on a pasture like FM’s, they are finished in feed lots on grass pellets. Genetics is often over looked or only allowed to play a minimal roll in the process. Many just buy the cheapest animal they can.

These animals have eaten selected grass and only selected grass their entire lives. As one chef said after working with and tasting Fort McCoy beef, “Grass fed beef certainly has come a long way!”

 

Grass Fed, Grass Finished, Locally Raised and Harvested, Focus on Animal Welfare & Sustainablity – Truly

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