Size:	One shoulder, choose from five sizes ranging from 8 to 13lbs.
Features:	Leg & foot on, sub-therapeutic antibiotic free pork, raised on small family farms, shelf stable until opened.
Origin:	Midwest pigs cured in North Carolina
Ingredients:	Mangalitsa Pork cured with Salt, Sugar, Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Nitrite

Made from intensely flavorful, hand selected cuts of mangalitsa pork, these dry cured pork shoulders (essentially a smaller country ham) combine the best traditions of Austria, Hungary and the American South. The resulting final product is among the very finest produced in the US.

These cured mangalitsa pork shoulders have the leg bone and foot included for an impressive presentation that allows them to be displayed and sliced on European-style prosciutto ham racks.

Note: because of the expert curing process, this mangalitsa pork is completely shelf stable at room temperature until its packaging is opened.  As such, it is shipped via ground without ice packs.

Read below for more information about the traditional curing process and Mangalitsa pork.

Mangalitsa Pork: Buttery, Rich, Moist
Mangalitsa pigs (aka mangalica pigs) are a “lard-type” heritage breed. Because of their unique wooly appearance, they are sometimes also referred to as “wooly pigs.”

While almost all other pig breeds raised in America are “meat-type” breeds that have been bred since World War 2 to be leaner and leaner with each generation (their meat progressively getting dryer and less flavorful), Mangalitsas have remained essentially the same since the breed with first developed in Hungary in 1833.

Mangalitsa pork is extremely well marbled (often with more than double the marbling of conventional pork), with buttery, yet cleaner tasting, smooth fat. Mangalitsa meat’s flavor is far superior to mainstream pork and it is also much less likely to dry out.

The Mangalitsa breed, when raised using Austrian husbandry techniques and with ultra high-quality feed as these pigs have been, produces fat that is primarily monounsaturated and higher in oleic acid. This means it melts at lower temperatures for a rich, moist result in cooking, and also cures far better than conventional pork, producing exceptional hams and cured shoulders.

Consumption of monounsaturated fats may also be associated with a decrease in certain types of cholesterol.

Country Ham: A Slow-Cured American Delicacy
Country ham production is a longstanding tradition in the American south. Over a period lasting from several months to over a year, hams are air/dry cured, then often smoked, until they reach the pinnacle of salty, sweet, rich, and smoky flavor.

Though the methods have evolved somewhat due to modern innovations in safety and temperature/humidity control, they are essentially the same. The level of knowledge, artistry, and skill required to properly cure country hams is not unlike that employed by top brew masters, vintners, and cheese makers.

These cured mangalitsa shoulders are prepared using traditional country ham methods, but not smoked, ensuring that the full, rich taste of mangalitsa pork shines uninhibited. These shoulders lose as much as 35% of their initial raw weight in moisture during the curing process, concentrating their flavor.

How Mangalitsa Shoulders are Cured
The cure master first rubs each raw shoulder with a dry cure mixture of salt, sugar, and curing agents. Next each is moved to a walk-in freezer at a near-freezing temperature for forty days. This stage simulates the high humid, super cold climate of winter in the South, when settlers originally would start to lay in their hams for the next year. As the shoulder endures “winter,” moisture is drawn out and the cure drawn in.

Next they move to “Spring” where they are hung an a temperature/humidity controlled room that slowly reduces the ambient humidity while increasing the temperature. Air circulation further removes moisture while the salt previously drawn into the meat redistributes itself, equalizing for a consistent flavor.

“Summer” is the last step, where aging lasts for several months, with the total amount of time varying from shoulder to shoulder. In this warm environment the meat continues to shrink and develop its complex and mature flavor. The shoulders are regularly tested by the curemaster, who inserts a long stainless steel needle into each periodically, allowing air to rush into and out of the heart of the meat. Based on the feel and aroma of each, he is able to judge quality and maturity.

These mangalitsa shoulders are sold at only the very highest level of quality, providing a unique balance of salt blending with the flavors of the pork and buttery fat. They have been cured for a total of 8-10 months, with each shoulder being pulled by the curemaster exactly when it’s ready.

Storage: Unopened mangalitsa pork shoulder is shelf stable and can be stored in a cupboard or pantry. Once the packaging seal is opened, it should be kept in your refrigerator.

Shelf Life: Effectively indefinite while still sealed, up to three months once opened.

 

Dry cured & smoked Mangalitsa pork shoulders are most often thinly sliced and served as you would prosciutto. This allows their full, rich flavor to be appreciated at its fullest.

Alternatively, they can also be roasted, as you would a ham, in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes per pound (to an internal temperature of 165 degrees). If you would like to reduce the shoulder’s saltiness before cooking it, first soak it in water for 24 hours.

Typical accompaniments to cured pork shoulders include fresh figs, melons (particularly honeydew), fresh figs, fine cheeses, honey, sherry, and top quality, grass fed unsalted butter in thin curls.