Berkshire Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin pairs beautifully with all sorts of ingredients in any season—peaches in summer, figs in winter or bacon year-round—and it can be cooked up in a flash on the stovetop or in the oven. Pork tenderloin, as its name suggests, is exceptionally silky in texture, yet lean, so it shouldn’t be overcooked. In 2011, the USDA recommended that pork be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees, 15 degrees cooler than the previous standard.

Our mission is to find farmers that share our vision of a more humane and sustainable way of rearing livestock. The cooperative of small family farmers that raises our Berkshire hogs is dedicated to traditional methods, allowing hogs to feed on pasture, with access to water and supplemental grain consisting of corn, soybeans and rolled oats. No pesticides, animal by-products or fishmeal are allowed. The majority of the farms are sustainable "circle farms" that raise and grind their own feed for the pigs.

Families of pigs are left together, to forage and frolic outdoors on pasture. The indoor spaces offer at least 15 square feet of space per animal, and sows are never put in gestation crates.

The cooperative is strict about banning the use of antibiotics and hormones on each farm and limiting the number of hogs the farms raise. They seek to add another farmer to the cooperative before they add more pigs to any one farm, making the process more humane for all concerned.