I recently read about a 3-day event that sounds truly amazing: Pigstock 2010 at Mosefund Farm in Branchville, NJ.
So, what is Pigstock, exactly? It’s a 3-day, hands-on course that teaches participants how to slaughter, butcher, brine and otherwise prepare a Hungarian Mangalitsa hog.
Many of you are probably making a face right now– perhaps you’re disgusted or simply mildly grossed-out. That’s totally fine with me. I’m not here to change anyone’s dietary or ethical code, trust me. Personally, I made my peace with eating animals long ago.
Of course, I also realize that butchering a pig isn’t on a lot of folks’ ‘life list,’ — but it’s on mine. After all, I’m a Hungarian-American gal from North Carolina– pig country here in the states– so a weekend celebrating Hungarian hogs is basically my kind of heaven. Heck, I’ve been talking about learning about butchery since long before Julie Powell wrote about it in Cleaving. In other words, when I heard about Pigstock, I thought: finally, here’s my chance!
Then reality set in: though I really wanted to go, I didn’t think I would be able to attend. Fact is, I’m a gal on a budget.
Well, folks, I’m here today to tell you that dreams do come true. Thanks to the amazing generosity of the good people at Mosefund Farm, I’ll be attending the first weekend of Pigstock 2010 (there are two 3-day sessions available) and blogging about the whole experience (so those of y’all who wanna go whole hog with me can come along for the trip, too!). I couldn’t be more excited for the adventure that awaits (or more nervous – I don’t take animal slaughter lightly, and it’s certainly not something I’ve done before).
In preparation for my trip, this past Sunday I visited the New Amsterdam market in lower Manhattan, where I met with Mosefund Farm’s Vice President and Executive Chef, Michael Clampffer (as well as his friendly associates). Not only did Michael tell me all about Pigstock, but he also insisted on donating some INCREDIBLE Mangalitsa bacon and lardo to my little project (stay tuned for recipes, y’all! And a big thanks to Mosefund Farm, of course).
While I’ll write more about Mosefund Farm and Mangalitsa pigs in further posts, for now I wanted to leave you with the skinny on the awesomeness that awaits at Pigstock 2010, in case you care to join me (you really should!). There are two 3-day sessions available– November 12, 13, 14 and November 16, 17, 18– but space is limited and spots are filling fast, so be sure to contact Michael right away if you’re interested in going.
Even if you can’t come to Pigstock, you want to get in on this amazing Mangalitsa, trust me. Just another reason you should stop by the New Amsterdam market on Sundays. I mean, just look at the delicious fat on this pork chop:
All of the information you’ll need can be found on Mosefund Farm’s website, though I did find out a few additional pieces of information that you may find useful if you plan on coming:
- The schedule goes something like this: 6:30 a.m. to about 6 p.m. (Day 1), 9 a.m. to about 7 p.m. (Day 2 & Day 3).
- Recommended hotel: Holiday Inn Express in Newton, NJ. Unless you live nearby in N.J., you’ll probably want to book a hotel.
- Going on November 12-14 and traveling from NYC? Interested in carpooling? Email me.
Oh, and be sure to tell Michael the Budapest Belle sent you!
Tags: bacon, branchville, butchery, cleaving, hog, Hungarian, Julie Powell, Mangalitsa, Mosefund Farm, New Amsterdam market, new jersey, new york city, nj, pig, Pigstock, Pigstock 2010, pork
