Gosh… coincidentally, I was at the Dierendonck butcher shop and saw a piece of smelt lying there. “From the menapian pig”.

So I didn't actually meet the pig, and I had to do some reading about this breed, but what a story!

The Menapian pig is a wild boar that looks like a wild boar and lived about 2000 years ago in our region, where a Celtic tribe, the Menapiers, also lived.  They fought the Romans at the time of Ambiorix, just to give you an idea.

Our areas were mainly forests and swamps and there lives this breed of pig. Brown fur, stubborn, fatty meat. A delicacy it turns out.

But through the work of Van Dierendonck, a pig breeder and a professor, they have succeeded in looking at the DNA of a few bones to reassemble and breed this breed. Don't ask me how, Lieven Scheire will have to explain that. Or @hendrikvandierendonck himself.

But for a few years now, pigs have been walking around again, which the Gauls also bred and ate.

What a story, and that was just lying there in the refrigerated counter. 2.7 kg of menapische pork neck. I could not help but make a pulled pork with much love. Also very curious in taste!

After marinating in a rub for a day, this beautiful neck spent almost 9 hours on the @biggreenegg.

After an hour of resting it was so tender and juicy and delightfully wobly (is that a word?) and ready to pull.

The big question: how does it taste? I tasted it right away, of course, and it was delicious. Nice deep flavor, but indeed also more greasy than I'm used to and that was noticeable. So I suspect that you will be saturated faster with a smaller portion

It reminded me of when I once made stew meat from waguy. I liked it but also found it way too greasy

This pig certainly integrates with me, and if I ever meet Hendrik van Dierendonck I definitely want to talk to him about this

The next time I can get my hands on a Menapian pig, I'll consider making a coppa instead of pulled pork.

But tomorrow we will first enjoy this pulled pork from a 2000 year old breed.