Chefs call the mighty Mangalitsa pig "the Wagyu beef" of pork, a fine swine that's valued as much for its silky lard as it is for its rich meat. Once a culinary oddity, a rotund and woolly creature that almost looks like a couch-potato version of a sheep, this breed of Hungarian pig has become increasingly prized among Sacramento gourmets.

Four Mangalitsa pigs, raised at Suisun Valley Farm near Fairfield, were divided recently among the Kitchen, Ella Dining Room and Bar, and Corti Brothers. The Thomas Keller Group, which runs such Michelin-starred restaurants as the French Laundry and Bouchon, called dibs on the front legs to make charcuterie.

For those craving a world-class version of "the other white meat," it might as well be pronounced "Mmmmmmangalitsa."

"It reminds me of Kobe beef, or those other pure breeds of Japanese cattle" such as Wagyu, said chef Noah Zonca of the Kitchen, who's offering a course of ravioli stuffed with Mangalitsa pork through June. "It has flavors that you just don't find in other pigs."

The Mangalitsa also has prices that you don't see in other pork: about $19.99 per pound for the loin and nearly $9 per pound for the shoulder at Corti Brothers. That's strike one for some consumers. And they sometimes balk at the thick fat that's a mainstay of Mangalitsa.

"The problem at retail is you cut and leave a lot of the fat on," said Mike Carroll, meat department manager at Corti Brothers. "Customers see that and don't want to pay that kind of money for the fat. It's a lot easier to sell at restaurants."

The fat cap on the Mangalitsa is almost comical. Check out a freshly butchered loin and you'll see a good couple of inches at least of fat. The fat is so buttery it starts melting with just a bit of warmth, making it a challenge for even the most experienced butchers.

"Breaking down these pigs is totally different than what I'm used to," said Carroll. "I hadn't cut myself in a long time, but the first time I cut up a Mangalitsa my knife went right through the fat and into my finger. I knew I had to be careful with this pork."

These plumper-than-thou pigs are grown primarily in Hungary and the Balkans, bred for their lard. Mangalitsa pigs are raised at a handful of United States farms, including Heath Putnam Farms in Washington state and Suisun Valley Farm, the current source of Mangalitsa on Sacramento menus.

"It's an incredibly small and rarified phenomenon," said Putnam, the first importer of Mangalitsa into the United States. "People are lucky they can just go into Corti Brothers and get them. The big markets for them right now are New York, New Orleans and Hong Kong."

Shane Petersen has raised the "swallow belly" breed of Mangalitsa for two years at Suisun Valley Farm. He says they're especially docile and friendly, almost like petting-zoo animals. They're fed a diet that includes barley, wheat, hay and alfalfa before they go the great bacon maker in the sky.

Mangalitsa can weigh a whopping 500 pounds or more, and are raised for 18 months minimum at Suisun Valley Farm. That's about three times longer than the typical pig, and the extra age produces a deeper flavor of meat and especially voluptuous fat. There's also added cost. Producing a pound of that prized fat costs twice as much as producing a pound of its lean meat.

"The biggest difference between Mangalitsa pigs and typical U.S. pigs is genetics," said Petersen. "Mangalitsa retained the ability to put on lots of fat, while most breeds were bred to leanness in the 20th century.

"Feeding plays a big role," added Petersen. "Avoiding dietary polyunsaturated fats is critical, as they give a fat (that's) unsuitable for long- term aging like you do with cured hams, sausages, etc. So, no corn because it contains poly fats."

As great chefs of the world know – from David Chang of Momofuku to your grandma – the fat is the flavor. The Mangalitsa's fat is especially prized for its buttery consistency and high amounts of mono- unsaturated fat, along with its versatility in the kitchen.

"We purchase Mangalitsa pigs primarily due to their very high fat content," said Devin Knell, chef de cuisine for the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. "The careful and selective diet these pigs are fed produces a highly unsaturated fat that has the texture and mouth feel of Wagyu. We use these pigs primarily for dry curing and aging. I feel that this form of utilization best showcases the attributes of both the pig and the efforts that Suisun Valley Farm puts into raising them."

In Sacramento, Mangalitsa is turned into a house- cured bacon for a carbonara pasta dish at Ella Dining Room and Bar. Over at the Kitchen, they've got Mangalitsa pork belly cured into bacon, a pork shoulder that's been slow-cooked for 20 hours and then braised, and some sweet-looking Mangalitsa ham.

A little Mangalitsa lard will also go a long way in your kitchen. Carroll of Corti Brothers likes to mix in a little Mangalitsa fat with hamburger patties, while rendering the fat into lard can be used for making some especially tasty biscuits and pie crusts.

"It's pretty versatile," said Zonca. "You can put it in pasta or a pot of beans. It's just awesome. Just don't get hung up when you see the fat content."

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