Our conversation about charcuterie began with how the French elevated it to an artform after the Romans were the first to regulate the practice. But somehow our discussion spiraled into how pigs make great pets. Our token Texan argued that pot belly pigs are smarter than most dogs–just a lot bigger. And hungrier.

Heritage pig. Picture courtesy of gourmet.com.

An awkward introduction to the topic of charcuterie since tomorrow we’ll be hacking into Wilbur. But charcuterie has been a practice for centuries as a method of preserving meat to last you through the winter. And tomorrow I’ll understand that first hand. It’s not every day you get to understand the whole picture of where your meat comes from. Gulp.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s meat report.

TIP OF THE DAY: Want a cheap cut of pork? Go for the shoulder butt. It’ll make an awesome pulled pork and only cost you pennies (unless you live in NYC. Just kidding…not really).