Pork is pork, right? Not according to UK meat producer Mark Hayward. The Englishman was in Hong Kong to introduce his ethically raised Dingley Dell Pork to the local market and hosted a dinner on Nov. 20 at Jean-Paul Gauci’s Wild Grass restaurant which shares a similar organic approach to food.
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Dingley Dell Pork’s Mark Hayward
According to Hayward, who founded the farm with his brother in 1999, the pigs are allowed to roam free, fed a natural cereal-based diet, and reared according to strict RSPCA standards with proper shelter and psychological stimulation. In this way, Hayward believes the stress free meat will have the best flavour.
“Apart from delivery quality pork, we also think about the ethics of farming,” he says. “This is our first year in export but chefs have tasted it against Japanese and American pork and say we’re better. A couple of places though said we’re too porky and I have no idea what that means.”
For the hardcore gastro-nerds, his pigs are primarily of Duroc breed which are known for its intra-muscular fat which retain juices and is very tender with a slightly stronger taste. The pork is now available at CitySuper but obviously there’s a slight premium on the price compared to regular pork.
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(From left) Jaakko Sorsa of FINDS, Jeremy Biasiol of The Mirror, butcher Kevin Burrows, Wild Grass’ Jean-Paul Gauci and Guillaume Galliot from The Tasting Room in Macau
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Terrine of Smoked Pork Chump with Smoked Eggplant and Celeriac Puree
To make the one night only Dingley Dell Pork dinner something special, three other top tier chefs were invited to each create a dish. Finds’ Scandinavian boss Jaakko Sorsa made a surprisingly light tasting Terrine of Smoked Pork Chump with Smoked Eggplant and Celeriac Puree. “I think it’s a good pork with natural flavour,” he notes.
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Sage and Onion Pork Osso Bucco
Gauci, whose nose-to-tail restaurant Wild Grass has been using the meat for about five months already, produced a Sage and Onion Pork Osso Bucco.
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Slow Cook Pork Rack with Beetroot and Apple Tatin with Pork Jus
The Mirror’s Jeremy Biasiol impressed with a Slow Cook Pork Rack with Beetroot and Apple Tatin with Pork Jus. Yes, it was as hearty as it sounded and even the fat had a slight crunchy texture. As a Frenchman, he had no qualms giving praise to something British. “I have no problem using products from other countries. I care about the quality, not where it comes from. I already use about 80 percent local sourced ingredients.”
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Burnt Caramel Mousse with Dark Chocolate Feuilletine, Cocoa Crumble, Maple Bacon Ice Cream and Candied Bacon
The most intriguing dish of the night was the dessert. One Michelin star chef Guillaume Galliot from The Tasting Room in Macau’s City Of Dreams had the task of making a dessert that incorporated the night’s theme ingredient. The result was a Burnt Caramel Mousse with Dark Chocolate Feuilletine, Cocoa Crumble, Maple Bacon Ice Cream and Candied Bacon.
Yes, that’s right – a bacon flavoured dessert! “I was testing it for one week,” Galliot reveals. “But I love dessert. I was a pastry chef.”
For entertainment, there was also a butchery demonstration as master butcher Kevin Burrows skilfully took apart half a swine carcass and the dressed results were auctioned to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund HK. Burrows’ knife was speedy and skilful, but to be honest, you could also see this everyday at the wet market so more than a few guests returned to snacking on the generous plates of pork crackling served as canapés.
FIND IT
Wild Grass
1/F, 8 Arbuthnot Road
Central
Tel: +852 2810-1189
Email: info@wildgrass.hk
www.wildgrass.hk
