Pasture-Raised Meishan Pork

The Meishan Pig:  A Rare and Unique Ancient Heritage Breed

Pinehurst Farm is excited to offer whole and half-carcasses of premium pasture-raised Meishan pork, bringing this rare heritage breed directly to your table. The Meishan pig is a standout choice for those seeking sustainable, flavorful pork options, a heritage breed that's a game-changer for home chefs and BBQ enthusiasts seeking unbeatable flavor and tenderness.  Meishan pork has been likened by some to elite delicacies like Kobe beef due to its abundant marbling and flavor intensity.

• Quality & Characteristics of Meishan Pork:
• Flavor: Rich, savory, slightly sweet, with a taste often compared to beef or steak.
• Tenderness: Extremely tender due to abundant intramuscular fat (marbling).
• Color: Deep, dark red, unusual for pork.
• Texture: Fine-grained, succulent, and melts in your mouth. 
• Micro-marbling: Abundant fat within the muscle (intra-muscular) and between muscles (inter-muscular).
• Lard (Banyou): Light, clean, fine-textured, and renders at lower temperatures, making it ideal for baking and cooking.
• Health: Considered nourishing, with high-quality fat. 
• Heritage Breed: One of the world's oldest domesticated breeds from China's Taihu region, selectively bred for meat and lard quality for millennia.
• Gourmet Status: A delicacy in East Asia and increasingly sought after by chefs in the West for its unique profile.
• Contrast to Commercial Pork: Unlike modern pork bred for leanness, Meishan's higher fat content provides superior flavor and juiciness.

One of the oldest domesticated pig breeds in the world, the Meishan originated in China  over 5,000 years ago, where ancient farmers selectively bred them for superior productivity and adaptability.  However, in 2018, it was estimated less than 2,000 purebred Meishans remained in the world, resulting in their status being labeled "Critically Endangered."  Fortunately, in 2024, The American Meishan Breeders Association (AMBA) estimated approximately 1,150 purebred Meishan pigs were registered in the USA, improving the status of the Meishan to "Threatened."

At Pinehurst Farm Meishan pigs are raised in a low-stress environment, free of hormones, vaccines or other traditional medical interventions.  At maturity, Pinehurst Farm Meishans typically weigh between 250 to 400 pounds, their meat speckled with high-quality marbling. 

Their black or gray skin is famously wrinkled, especially around the face, paired with large, pendulous ears that droop down, giving them an endearing, almost cartoonish appearance. Meishans are incredibly docile and sedentary, quiet and easy to manage, making them ideal for small farms and sustainable farming practices. They thrive on pasture grasses and roughage, with minimal rooting.

At Pinehurst Farm, we seek to deliver the highest quality Meishan pork, providing a sustainable, healthy, ancient heritage pork option for your family.