Jeju Dream Pork, located in Hallim-eup, Jeju Island, South Korea, processes and sells 4 million pounds of premium Jeju black pork per year. Jeju Island is world-famous for its black pork, known for its exquisite marbling. The pork comes from Nanchuk Mattong pigs, a type of genetically modified pig created from pigs native to Jeju Island. “The meat quality, marbling and other aspects are superior to regular pork,” says Byun Yong-jun, CEO of Jeju Dream Pork.
Jeju Dream Pork meticulously processes, labels and butchers every pig in-house. Some of their butchers have been with the company for over 20 years and are experts in their craft, with safety and quality being their number one priority. Each pig can produce 16 different cuts of meat, each with their own unique flavor. “We’ve been developing and refining new cuts of meat,” Byun says, “to make it interesting and flavorful, rather than just grilling pork belly.”
After the meat is separated into 16 cuts, the cuts are sorted, trimmed and cleaned. Waste parts like fat are saved for soap and other cosmetics, and the bones are set aside for soups. Once trimmed, the cuts are packaged and vacuum packed, ready for distribution to restaurants like Clown Pig.
At Crown Pig in Jeju, chef-owner Hoon Song grills pork over apple and oak wood. To ensure the best possible taste for his guests, Crown Pig’s chefs prefer to grill the meat themselves, rather than having it grilled at the table. “Once you taste the juices and savory fat, you’ll understand the quality of our pork,” says Song.
Watch the latest episode vendor Follow the journey of the famous Jeju black pork from farm to distributor to dinner table.