Is Kunekune pork a superior quality meat?

You’re charmed by the cute upturned snout, the stubby speckled coloured body, and the affectionate personally of the Kunekune pig. But you’re wondering, are Kunekune pigs good for meat?

Is this a productive farm animal? Will they produce high quality pork to feed my family and customers ? 

Is it worth the time and investment for meat production or is it merely a glorified pet? 

Kunekune pigs (pronounced “cooney cooney”) are a heritage breed of swine originating in New Zealand. The Maori people called them “fat and round”. With stubby upturned snouts, short legs, and a stocky build they can definitely resemble a sausage! These smaller pigs are praised for their ability to thrive on 100% grass. With proper rotational grazing, they won’t cause damage to your pasture with excessive rooting. 

But what about the meat?! We are here for the bacon! 

Many homesteaders, ourselves included, have chosen the Kunekune breed as the family pig because of their small stature which requires lower inputs, their friendly nature, and yes, high quality meat. I share my favourite, simple glazed ham recipe at the end of this post.

We butchered 2 Kunekune pigs ourselves this fall.

This past November (2023) on our small farm, we harvested our two kunekune meat pigs. My husband and our 9 year old son, shot and hung up the first pig on their own. They rigged up two ladders with a board stretched between them. Using a calf sleigh to haul the hog out of the pen, they then hooked ratchet straps through the hooves and hoisted the pig upright between the ladders. If this were a 600 lb. hog, I’m not sure they could have managed without some sort of hydraulic. We were able to harvest and butcher our pigs with the most basic, minimal equipment, which is where many homesteaders find themselves. We had a few sharp knives, a hand meat saw, and a whole lot of optimism.

The evening after the slaughter, my husband hauled in a side of pork and flopped it on the kitchen island. We used our knives to carve it up; hams, pork chops, ribs, pork belly, etc. It was getting later on in the evening and we were getting hungry. Tim sliced off the loin, cut a few chops out, and slapped them on the frying pan, right then and there. It sizzled and fried. With flourish, he added a pinch of freshly ground sea salt.

I understand that some may feel they need a few more degrees of separation from their dinner than that. I definitely raised my eyebrows and looked down my nose at my husband that night, but I took one bite and my eyes flew open! With nothing but salt, it was so unbelievably tender and incredibly flavourful.

That was the best pork chop I’d ever had, hands down!

It actually made me emotional.

That must sound ridiculous, hear me out. 

We raised these two pig from 12 weeks old. We named them Wilbur and Stella. They were more pets than livestock. We enjoyed them immensely. In the fall when they were young, they would free range around the yard like dogs. One night Wilbur stayed out too late because the kids were outside playing with their cousin until after dark. Wilbur couldn’t find his way back to his pen, so he sat on the deck in a pool of soft light from the porch window. We noticed him on the deck and went out to lead him back to bed with a flashlight and some treats.

Kune kunes are a slow growing breed, so we cared for them for 15 months. We were out there twice everyday, taking extra time to check on them and feed them the scraps of the day.

They were easily our favourite farm animal.

Needless to say, it was hard to think about butchering them. 

As the time came for us to harvest them, a number of my children, myself included, had a good cry together. We knew this was their purpose, but it was still sad. We would miss them. 

So here I was, at 8pm, eating this amazing pork chop, that literally, could not be any fresher.

I was overwhelmed with gratitude!

Our pigs gave us so much joy over the year that we raised them.

They gave us laughter as Stella snored so loudly we could hear her from the driveway.

They gave us the opportunity to be outside in the fresh air, exercising doing chores.

Wilbur and Stella ate every possible food scrap in our household, garden, and other people’s households! We even set up a scrap pail after church potlucks, so all the food scraps went back home to the pigs. There was never any waste! 

Fox Hollar Farmstead puts it this way, “a pig’s function in human food systems, is to convert wasted calories into useful calories.” Our little pig had already provided incredible value even before he fulfilled his intended purpose.

Then they gave the ultimate sacrifice of their life, which continued to provide for us through the most delicious, tender pork I had ever had.

 I was so incredibly thankful! 

The sacrifice was worthwhile, it was not in vain. 

When you only raise a handful of animals you have a very intimate relationship with them. And when they die by the work of your own hands, you take that responsibility very seriously. 

Bon Appetit!

I would describe our kunekune pork as extremely tender and flavourful. It didn’t need anything more than some salt. It tasted rich. The fat was creamy, savoury, and palatable. Tim and I wanted to eat it, rather than trim it off! Whispering Winds Farm in Alberta Canada, describes it as “melting in your mouth with a very much edible texture”. That is precisely right, especially the fried bacon!

Kunekune are considered a lard breed and some may consider that a disadvantage, however, I chose them specifically for the ability to obtain that amazing quality lard. If you would prefer, you can trim off more fat from your hams or bacon when you piece it out; the flavour will still be obtained.

Saskatchewan purebred Kunekune breeder, Jackie Fawns, agrees that they enjoy the flavour of the fat as well. Its lovely for cooking and baking, especially for pie crusts. Any lard that she doesn’t use, she easily sells to eager customers!

Since your pasture-raised pigs are in the brilliant sun, as many small family farms do, your lard be higher in Vitamin D. Ruthann Zimmerman says that is why they butcher their beef in late summer, rather than the winter months.

How much meat do you get from a whole pig?

We got approximately 150 lbs of meat from one pig. That was meat into our freezer, not the hanging weight. That is above average as our pigs were a bit overweight; our female even more so. 120 – 150 lbs hanging weight would be more typical where you bring home about 80 lbs of pork.

The Kunekune’s meat is dark red and slightly sweet.

The complexity and richness in flavour comes mainly from the high content of grass in their diet, as well as their slower growing rate (think a slow cooker versus microwave growth rate ). Just as grass fed, grass finished beef will be more flavourful, the same goes for the purebred Kunekunes. This grazing diet also contributes to higher levels of mono-saturated fats (the good fats!) than their counter parts and the nutritional benefits of increased omega 3 fatty acids.

I did a little experiment.

I cooked up one of our Kunekune pork chops and cooked up a grocery store pork chop. I did a blind taste test on my family. And wouldn’t you know, 7/8 people chose the homegrown meat multiple times in a row! The consensus was that the Kunekune meat had more flavour and a better texture, where as the store bought meat tasted bland.

You may be surprised to hear that…

The slaughter is a major element in producing high quality flavourful meat.

Lactic acid is known to make meat pink, tender, and pleasantly flavourful. Typically, muscle glycogen is converted into lactic acid creating that desired culinary outcome. However, when an animal is under stress it produces adrenalin. If there is a surge of adrenalin before the slaughter, the lactic acid is used up in preparation for fight or flight. This negatively affects the flavour, texture, and colour of the meat of any livestock. Generally, it will be tougher and more dry, excessively light in colour, or in contrast, excessively dark.

It is difficult to attain this desired atmosphere of calmness when an animal must be transported. Brandon Sheard, the Farmstead Meatsmith, says it this way,

“An animal fears separation more than death,”

because separation from the herd or family group means death. This is part of the animal’s nature.” 

 It is a high value of my family to ensure a peaceful and humane death, in as much as we can control, for all of our animals, out of honour for their contribution, as well as for the enhanced quality of meat it produces. For that reason, we choose and recommend a home butcher. 

When it came time for our pigs to be harvested, they were happily eating some treats. The shot was fired and they dropped to the ground like a rock. There was no stress or trauma. 

You can do this.

You are the best person to harvest your animals,

simply because you care the most about them. That means you will put the most effort into ensuring that they have as quick and painless experience as possible. No one else will care more about your stock than you do. 

This was a big under taking for us as first-time pig farmers, but surprisingly, its not as hard as it may seem. Reach out to us if you need more encouragement!

So is Kunekune pork a superior quality meat?

Yes.

Their pasture diet creates a desirable, stronger flavour of meat.  

The top-quality fat lends incredible taste and juiciness to all of the cuts of meat, for this, it is the better choice for my household.

Remember that Kunekune are slow growing heritage breeds and smaller in stature, so if you’re looking for a fast turn around with a larger quantity of meat, these might not be the breed for you.

But there are steps you can take to ensure the highest quality of meat no matter what breed you are raising!

1. Raise your hogs outdoors. Fresh air, sunshine, and room to roam make happy, healthy, stress-free pigs with higher vitamin levels and nutrient density in their meat. 

2. Add variety into their diets. Some pig breeds may not gravitate toward grass as the Kunekune are known to do, but you can achieve complex flavours by feeding them household and garden scraps and allowing them room to forage on their own. 

3. Choose an artful harvest at home. 

The quality of meat depends greatly upon the husbandry and harvesting of the animal.

Pork that is homegrown and home harvested is far superior to anything available in the grocery store.

The Kunekune heritage pigs are the perfect choice for my family because of their delicious meat and of equal importance:

– their friendly nature and personality; my children ages 3-12 all helped tend them, even a breeding boar or new sow can be safe and approachable

– small stature; they are not intimidating, we can harvest at home without equipment or machinery, contained with simple fencing- one or two strands of electric ribbon will do the trick

– “fat pigs” that produce valuable lard for baking, frying, and sausage making

Start your herd today!

If you’re looking for a local Saskatchewan breeder to begin your pasture-raised pork  journey, you can check out Kunekune breeders, Jackie Fawns and family at “Kunekune Pig Palace”. Find high quality purebred breeding stock in their kunekune gilts and kunekune boars. 

Kunekune Pig Palace

Text or call 306-269-0264

Email jackiefawns17@gmail.com

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