ALL ABOUT SATLZ & PEPPA PORK COMMUNITY FARMS

We are nestled southwest of Atlanta Georgia, in one of the most beautiful forests in the state. It is little known to residents of surrounding counties that the City of Chattahoochee Hills even exists. We have no commercial business there, so you had better fill up with gas and grab your necessary staples before settling in. Only 25 minutes from Atlanta’s Hearts Field-Jackson Airport, we enjoy a serine countryside and beautiful wilderness driving down our picturesque, scenic roads and highways.

Most are generational, longtime residents of Chatt Hills but the secret is out. Like me, many are pursuing the area because it is still a place where one can own a large tract of land and homestead. Growing your own has become a huge thing here in the past few years. Folks that like raising their gardens and animals for self-preservation are becoming quite common in these parts. Although hard work, there is great satisfaction in consuming the fruits of your own labor.

My lovely Wife and I had that in mind just four years ago when we purchased a small home on 17 acres. Mostly trees with a very heavy canopy with very little light to grow much of anything. After spending a couple of years cleaning it up and carving out some sunny spots we were able to break the ground and have really nice garden spots to grow more than enough for us. In addition to that, we started to inoculate the land with microbes and build the soil back to perfection. As we evolved and created hog paddocks and a nursery for the little ones, the land started to come alive again and produce on every front. 

We named the property “The Refuge”. With the addition of our Anatolian Shepard puppy; she made friends with much of the wildlife but knows her job very well by taking care of our flock of Australorp laying hens and baby piglets.
Julie and I purchased a mating pair of the most wonderful pigs known to man called the Royal Mangalitsa. Manga’s are a heritage breed of swine from the country of Hungary. They are known for their Mono-unsaturated fat that melts at 86.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, the omegas 3,5,6, and 9 make the words healthy and pork fit together so well. They produce the most succulent protein available. This wonderful animal will change the eating habits of food-conscious people moving forward.

Before we decided to turn our passion into a business called Saltz & Peppa Pork company, we knew the foundation would have to be established, a business model would be unique and the customer would have to be re-educated about where healthy pork comes from and how it is made.  

I decided along the way that there was a much better way to raise pork than the way Grandpa and my Uncles did it. We have a forest that produces many tons of food in the form of leaves, nuts, flowers, and fruit. White Oak Creek makes over a 2000-foot track through the property. Like its name, the ancient white oak trees drop tons of very large acorn nuts in the fall. As the leaves fall from the forest canopy and the persimmon tree drops their copper-colored fruits, the feeding out of the Royal Mangalitsa begins.

The Manga are moved to various paddocks throughout their growing life. They enjoy the community of the other animals and are very kind to one another and their offspring. This beautiful animal has only one ultimate purpose in life. That is to provide delicious, highest quality, healthy high protein food for you and me.

We are able to harvest our animals right here on the farm with very humane practices. Our scalding station and hanging cooler are conveniently located within feet of the processing kitchen.

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We enjoy the old-time preservation techniques of hams and bacon as well as the new ways. Rendering the purl white fat of the Mangalitsa down to a Lardo that is just as sought after as the best meat cuts from this royal beast. This animal is coveted for its mono-unsaturated renderings. The rendering brings forth gold nuggets we call cracklings which are small cubes of fat and crunchy skins. They are as flavorful and addictive as popped corn.

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The fat renderings from this lovely creature can be used for many different things. Chefs from around the world who know this animal use it in culinary arts such as pastries, icings, and baked goods. It fries up anything from eggs to the best chicken you ever had. Because it is such a light oil as compared to sunflower oil, it doesn’t lay heavy on the tongue making each bite as succulent as the last. The secret to such wonderful renderings is the tannic acids that come from the acorns they are finished out on in the fall. Mangalitsa is also known to make the world's best dry-aged hams. Once compared to Jamus Iberico from Spain, but in recent years has become much more preferred due to its flavor continues to get better up to five years in the aging process. Much like wine, it gets better with age and should be consumed after 18 months and within four years. Very few make it to four years. 

Soap makers rave about its quality and how healthy it is for the skin. It holds up very well to heat up to 360 degrees. Therefore it is great for frying your favorite foods without a heavy finish.

The meat of the Royal Mangalitsa is very red and mimics the look of grass-fed Angus beef. It contains intertissue marbling very much like the Wague beef. Some call it the Wague of pork. The purl white fat lines can be seen throughout the filaments of the meat. The consistency is exceptionally tender, and succulent and has a slight nutty undertone flavor. Some say that is from the feed out of acorns and pumpkins.  I feed them a fresh grind of wheat, barley, rye, and rice.  I have found it makes the lardo a brilliant white and I’m sure it lends great flavor as well. 

Julie and I look forward to having you and your family taste the best. What you have learned by reading this is a small glimpse of what the Royal Mangalitsa has to offer in the way of protein and sustenance. We believe this wonderful animal will change the way we look at food moving forward.