Welsh rare breed pig farmer Illtud Llyr Dunsford talks to us about his lovable curly-haired Mangalitza pigs, and why they make the best bacon.
Illtud Llyr Dunsford (pictured left) moved to his family's Carmenthenshire farm in 2004, having spent weekends there as a child. But instead of a dairy farm, which is how Illtud's uncle and grandfather made a living, Illtud decided to use the land to breed a bizarre breed of pigs, called Mangalitzas, instead.
“Pork accounts for about one per cent of Welsh agriculture," says Illtud. "Because of the rainfall we’re a grass-growing nation, so we mostly do dairy, beef and lamb production. In Wales, raising pigs is very much a cottage tradition, keeping a few pigs for food."
Regardless, the progression to pig farming was a logical one. After Illtud's uncle retired from the dairy business, the family land was rented out to other farmers and what remained was suitable for very little else but pigs.
Illtud currently keeps just over 20 Mangalitza pigs and will buy in more Pedigree Welsh stock after he's finished rebuilding the sheds on his farm, hopefully bringing the total to around 48.
What's a Mangalitza?
Mangalitzas (note the British spelling with a 'z') are an Austro-Hungarian pig breed which have a distinctive, thick curly coat of hair. “There used to be a British breed called the Lincolnshire curly-coated, which is pretty much the same type of pig, but that died out in 1974," says Illtud.
At one time it would've been quite a common sight to see a pig with that level of hair but because it wasn't a desirable trait, most modern breeds have had it bred out of them.
It must be said, all that curly hair makes these pigs look pretty cute. Does Illtud become attached to them?
“Definitely," says Illtud. "Our boar, Arthur (pictured above), is coming to the end of his usable life in terms of his age as a male, but he's the first animal that we've considered keeping as a pet. He's quite a character and there's so much interest in him. When people come to the farm, it's always Arthur they want to see!”
Big fat pigs
Illtud says that in relation to modern breeds, Mangalitzas don't grow quite so big – their hair makes them look a lot bigger than they are. “In the summer, they shed a lot of their coat and you can see... [their] muscle structure at least.” That said, Illtud still estimates that they can grow to be 300 kilos or more.
It's the Mangalitza's fat that makes it so different to convential breeds. According to Illtud, this fat “actually gives a cleaner flavour". And there's more of it, making Mangalitza fat more comparable to seed oils than animal fats.
"Mangalitzas are not recognised as a meat breed as such, they're recognised because of their fat. But because the marbling [of the meat] is so intense, it’s very difficult to cremate a piece of Mangalitza because it will self-baste because of all that marbling.” Delicious.
Award-winning produce
“the best product we sell is our traditional back bacon," says Illtud. "I think the reason being because we cure it the old-fashioned way – something the family has been doing for generations."
This style of curing, according to Charcutier Ltd's website, consists of “encasing the animal in salt in a slate tray before hanging and air drying.”
"We’ll carry on making regional cured products, and we also try and make regional hams and British sausages because we need to preserve such traditions," says Illtud. "Our Oxford sausage recipe dates from 1723 and we also make more 'modern' things like a Cambridge sausage from the 1920s."
Illtud won the meat category in the Young British Foodies Awards 2013, with one of the judges, Neil Rankin, remarking that "he is the real deal. Someone who dedicates himself to meat and I can't think of a worthier winner."
Charcutier Ltd, who sell Illtud's meat, operate a monthly door-to-door delivery service to Cardiff and Swansea, and have stalls at a handful of farmers markets across South Wales. If you'd like to get hold of Charcutier Ltd products, visit their website for more information.
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