We wanted to prepare the filet (lomo in Spain or lonzo in Corsica) in a way that preserves the finesse and moisture of this cut. After maturation for 1 to 2 months maximum in unrefined sea salt, it is aged for approximately 60 to 90 days for a mild flavour enhanced by the light, aromatic heat of organic Espelette pepper.

Our philosophy: genetic selection, farming methods with specific standards, and the transformation process.
We view our work not as charcutiers, but as maturers, who allow natural processes to unfold over time.

Genetics

We use exclusively the Gascon pig, a slow-growing animal that produces the intramuscular fat we seek for our cured meats.
Cousin of the Iberian pig, it is a hardy breed whose origins date back to prehistoric times.

Currently, we see (falsely) artisanal pork, often labeled "black" to appear rustic and with a village or regional name to seem traditional.
Most of the time, these pigs are crossbred with white pigs and raised confined in buildings.

The Gascon Pig is a pure breed, clearly identified by IFIP (the French Pork Institute), and its purity is monitored by LIGERAL (the collective pedigree book of local pig breeds).
It is a pig that we know well, as we raised them for 15 years on the estate, at a time when the breed was endangered.

I discovered this pig at the end of the 80s; its gustatory qualities literally overwhelmed me, and I immediately began raising them to transform them into sausages, hams... and we right away focused on the transformation.
In 1996, we modestly participated in the creation of the National Association for the Safeguarding of the Gascon Pig (ANSPG).

Highly advanced rearing methods

For millennia, pigs have been raised outdoors.
An industry focused on productivity has confined them, to produce faster but with less quality; it has selected breeds that adapt to this "prison" farming, which the Gascon pig does not.

We have opted for an ultra-modern farming method, in the woods, always seeking respect for the animal's life cycle, in both its lifestyle and duration: long rearing between 20 and 25 months (three to four times longer than industrial farming and twice as long as artisanal farming).
Factory farming is prohibited in favour of free-range roaming, allowing the use of woodland areas neglected by industrial agriculture.
The pigs live a true pig's life, rooting in the soil for their food (grass, leaves, roots, mushrooms, berries, earthworms, field mice, chestnuts and acorns in season).
It is thanks to this varied diet that we obtain meat with distinct intramuscular fat, which defines the quality of our cured meats.

The transformation process

In 1995, we developed the first certified organic sausage, free from saltpeter and nitrites, in partnership with the CRITT and Anvar.

A fermented product

Our cured meats are the result of slow ageing in cellars.
This is the result of the work of indigenous yeasts on our meats, as opposed to the chemical yeasts used by the food industry.
Indigenous yeasts are yeasts naturally present in the surrounding air.

The cellars — one at ground level and three for ageing — all have different atmospheres.
\nAs a result, the cured meats, which move from one cellar to another during their ageing, develop different aromas in each.
\nThis is what creates the aromatic complexity and length on the palate of our products.

Bespoke ingredients

Each ingredient is selected to contribute to the aromatic development.

Without saltpeter, without nitrites

Learn more

Tasting advice

Open the packs 48 hours in advance (at least 24 hours), and leave them hanging in a well-ventilated, temperate place.

Enjoy as is for an aperitif, in thin slices, to accompany oysters, or as appetisers with truffle butter.

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