Ageing that makes the difference

60 days of ageing, for a pronounced taste and length on the palate

With the same meat, we prepare a "mêlée"—a mixture of sorted meats and hard fats that is stuffed into casings of various sizes. The size of the casing determines the ageing time and, consequently, the final taste of the product.
The larger the casing, the longer the ageing process, resulting in a more powerful and complex flavour.

Trique: large gauge: 120 to 180 days of ageing
Saucisson: medium gauge, 60 days of ageing
Saucisse: small gauge, 20 days of ageing

Our philosophy: genetic selection, rearing methods with specific standards, and the transformation process.

We see our work not as pork butchers, but as masters of ageing, who allow natural processes to unfold over time.

Genetics

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

At present, (falsely) artisanal pork is often labeled 'black' to sound rustic, or given village or regional names to suggest tradition. 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 the IFIP (Institut du porc), and its purity is controlled by LIGERAL (Livre Généalogique Collectif des Races Locales de porcs). It is a pig we know well, having raised them for 15 years on the estate at a time when they were near extinction.

I discovered this pig at the end of the 1980s; its flavor profile completely captivated me, and I immediately began raising them to craft saucissons, hams... and we focused straight away on the transformation process.
In 1996, we played a modest role in the creation of the Association Nationale de Sauvegarde du Porc Gascon (ANSPG).

Highly advanced rearing methods

For millennia, pigs have been raised outdoors. The industry, focused on productivity, has confined them to produce faster but at the cost of quality; it has selected breeds adapted to this "prison-like" farming, but Gascon pork does not adapt to it.
We have opted for a highly modern way of rearing, in the woods, always seeking to respect the animal's life cycle, both in its way of life and its duration: long rearing periods of 20 to 24 months (between 3 and 4 times longer than industrial farming and twice as long as artisanal farming). Intensive farming is rejected in favour of free-ranging in open nature, making use of wooded areas abandoned 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. They are the outcome of indigenous yeasts working on our meats, as opposed to the chemical yeasts used by the food industry.
Indigenous yeasts are those naturally present in the surrounding air.

The cellars – one on the ground floor and three for ageing – all have different atmospheres. As a result, the cured meats that move from one cellar to another during their maturation will develop different aromas in each. This creates the aromatic complexity and length on the palate of our products.

Bespoke ingredients, no saltpetre, no nitrite salt

Each ingredient is selected to contribute to the aromatic development.

Learn more

Tasting advice

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

Then store wrapped in a cloth or absorbent paper in the refrigerator.

To be enjoyed without restraint.

Testimonials

This saucisson is a striking discovery, with its dark flesh and tender, fragrant fat.
A surprising flavour, reminiscent of the charcuterie of my childhood in Auvergne.
True craftsmanship! Bravo.

Patrick L.

The products were divine, including the Gascon pork saucissons.
Thank you for restoring the tastes of our childhood (I am 70) which seemed lost forever in the ocean of productivity.

Philippe R.

"My first purchase from you was the black pork saucissons and the black pork and duck blend.
They are both excellent:
A powerful, full-bodied taste for the 100% pork—my favourite—and a note of duck in the mid-palate for the second.
Both are dry without being desiccated, with just the right amount of salt to carry the flavours without distorting them.
Beyond the products themselves, I admire your approach and am convinced that the intrinsic quality of a production is also a matter of time.
Thank you again."
Bruno A.

This is my third order from you, and each time the pleasure is infinite.
Your Gascon black pork cured meats are absolutely wonderful.
With all my gratitude and culinary enthusiasm,

Caroline M.

Questions & Answers:

• What ingredients make up the Saucisson de Porc Gascon?
  This saucisson is made from Gascon pork lean meat and back fat.

• How long is this saucisson aged?
  Approximately 8 weeks in a natural cellar alongside the hams

• Does the product contain nitrites or saltpetre?
  No saltpetre, no nitrite salt, nor any other chemical additive.

• How long can it be kept?
  This saucisson can be kept vacuum-sealed for 6 months. Once opened, it should be enjoyed within 2 weeks.
  

• How to enjoy it?
  Open the bag 24 to 48 hours in advance and hang your saucisson in a cool, well-ventilated place.

• How is it packaged for delivery?
  All Maison Duler cured meats are vacuum-packed.

• How does the product develop its aromatic complexity?
  Through slow ageing that encourages indigenous yeasts.