Fat Cat Chef

The Wall Street Journal runs a great piece on pure bred pigs and their superior taste.

Just like the debate over which heritage turkey tastes better, the article lists the tasty pros and cons of various breeds, until Manhattan chef Dan Barber puts the mystery to rest:

"Taste is a function of how the animals are raised and what they eat as much as what their lineage is."

Now there's a man who knows his food. Fat Cats have long known that all-natural, hormone free (and preferably organic) meat, poultry and pork are the way to go for maximum taste per square tastebud.

And with today's mad cow scare, any animal that avoids the evil grip of the factory farm feedlot is one step in the right direction.

So here's your takeaway: no matter which breed you buy, natural pork will beat factory farmed junk anyday.

The WSJ's list of great places to buy pork:

Lobel's of New York

The Pork Board

Berkshire Meats

Prarie Pride Farm of Minnesota

Niman Ranch -- I just had some Niman Ranch bacon for breakfast on Sunday (baked it, of course). This stuff is great: thick cut, marbled, gets two paws up.

The Trader Joe's in Scarsdale, NY sells it, and I believe Whole Foods does also.

:: Fat Cat Tip ::
Try some all-natural pork (hopefully organic) this weekend; bacon is always a good -- and easy -- way to try all-natural pork (not to mention inexpensive).

You probably won't find it at your standard impersonal supermarket chain, so check out Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or your other local purveyors of quality food.