Westaways is a pork only site, so we are bound to be biased against other meats, including beef, which is sad because here in the West Country we produce some of the best grass in the world.
Grass grown in Devon is typically high in dry matter – which determines its nutritional value, it is high in metabolizable energy – the amount of energy available to livestock and it is high in protein. This provides for some wonderful beef and of course amazing milk.
Farmers in the South West have bred unique breeds to make the most of this grass. 150 years ago, breeds like the South Devon were triple purpose used not only for milk and meat but also for ploughing and pulling carts.
Whereas globally the need for cheap food, and the rise of monoculture and intensive farming are changing the way we look after our agricultural land, there is an increasing interest in alternative approaches to the way we produce our food and the choices we make.
So, here are my thoughts on Burgers, firstly why are they called Hamburgers? It is nothing to do with Pork it is because they originated in Hamburg. Going back further as Genghis Khan and the Mongols rode on horseback conquering basically everything, they needed easy-to-eat foods that didn’t require dismounting. The answer was scrapings of lamb formed into flat patties and tenderised by placing under their saddles, before being eaten raw in classic Mongol fashion. The Russian for Mongol is Tartar – hence Steak Tartar.
It could be argued that the fact that we associate burgers with beef is nothing more than marketing.
So here is the marketing to support using pork for your burgers rather than beef.
Pork is a lot more sustainable
-To produce just 1kg of beef contributes 99kg of global greenhouse gas emissions, 1kg Pork contributes only 12kg.
-1kg of Beef needs 14,400 litres of water, 1kg pork needs 6,000 litres.
-Pork requires significantly less land
-Pigs grow faster and are better “converters” of feed into meat.
Pork is succulent and tender
-It depends on the cuts but generally pork is considered more succulent than beef as the fat is more evenly distributed throughout the muscles.
-Pork is naturally more tender due to the younger age at slaughter
Pork is better value
-Pork is currently 70% the price of beef and is generally cheaper.
-Pork’s nutritional value is better with better levels of vitamin Bs (thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, B-6 and B12), selenium, phosphorus and Omega -3s.
Pork cooks faster
-Pork typically cooks faster than beef due to lower fat content and faster heat transfer.
-If pork is cooked at high temperature the amino acids and sugars break down to provide rich flavour and colour – this is called the “Maillard” reaction.
Pork is versatile
-Pork has a slightly sweet, versatile flavour which is ideal for a wide range of sweet, savoury, spicy and tangy serving options.
Why not put British Pork on your Fork, and put Westaways Pork Burgers on your menu?