Cooking With Mangalitsa

Very Special Meat

Chef Stockner of Zum Weissen Rauchfangkehrer with cured Mangalitsa fatback and whipped Mangalitsa lard.

As an extreme lard-type breed, the Mangalitsa's backfat is very thick. The meat is highly marbled and flavorful.

Chefs use almost all of the animal. Small amounts of Mangalitsa make otherwise boring dishes special.

For example, Zum Weissen Rauchfangkehrer serves a traditional soup made from the hocks, while greaves (the leftover protein from rendering lard) are a basic element used in savory or sweet dishes. Meat scraps wrapped in caul fat (aka crépinette) are a special treat.

Chefs consider Mangalitsa entirely different from normal pork. Chef Stockner (pictured) can earn thousands of dollars in revenue by processing and selling one excellent Mangalitsa. The most profitable part of the pig is the fatback.

In the USA, chefs like Devin Knell of The French Laundry use Mangalitsa because of its exceptional meat and fat.

Special Fat

Mangalitsa fat tastes lighter and melts at a lower temperature than normal pig fat. It is juicy and soft, not heavy and greasy. This is due to the fat being higher in monounsaturated fatty acids than normal pork.

Mangalitsa Roast

Fancy Dish

Chefs like Manfred Stockner of Zum Weissen Rauchfangkehrer like Mangalitsa fat because they can do so much with it - he cures it and renders it. The lard can be whipped like cream. A small amount of such fat enhances otherwise ordinary dishes, or with suitable garnishes, is the dish.

Professional chefs that work with Mangalitsa like the fat the most, because it allows them to be so creative.