FESTIVE ROASTS

ROAST PORK WITH golden crackling has become the new star of the Christmas table. Go the whole hog and buy direct from farmers who raise free-range pastured pigs. Being outdoors provides the animals with room to roam, root and wallow as they would in the wild and slow-growing breeds of pigs such as the Large Black, Berkshire, and Wessex Saddleback produce a more flavoursome meat. Farmers raising these older domestic breeds are helping to increase the genetic diversity of our pig population and provide greater choice.

VICTORIA

Jonai Farms & Meatsmiths, Eganstown

Tammi and Stuart Jonas moved to country Victoria in 2011 to grow the quality of food they wanted to eat themselves. They raise the slow-growing Large Black pigs on their 28-hectare property near Daylesford and sell to fellow Victorians through farm gate pick-up or post, as well as deliver to Melbourne. Christmas is busy and production jumps threefold. The small number of hams they produce go within 24 hours of being offered for sale but the porchetta, the loin and belly stuffed