The College of Pig Knowledge

The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest kicked off on Thursday, inspiring many a backyard pit master to try his or her hand this weekend at roasting a tasty pork butt, rack of ribs (dry-rub, of course) or pulled pork sandwich-slaw on top, Memphis-style.

The Memphis contest is unique in that it only allows contestants to cook with pork (hence its pithy "College of Pig Knowledge" moniker), but pork, like virtually every other mass-produced meat product in our food chain, comes with a host of problems. As much as 95 percent of the U.S.'s pork comes from production facilities that are less factory farms and more concentrated hog-breeding operations, where pigs are born and raised in inhumanely small pens, pumped full of antibiotics to prevent the diseases that inevitably spread in such conditions, and are never allowed fresh air, daylight or even a bed of hay.

These factory slaughterhouses are also highly polluting. Some of the country's largest pork producers have been fined for violating the Clean Water Act for improperly disposing of pig waste. Often, the problems occurred when rainstorms caused manure pits (massive holding tanks that contain everything from pig manure to stillborn piglets and antibiotic syringes) to overflow into rivers and streams, killing aquatic life and contaminating municipal water supplies. And it probably goes without saying that these pits, often referred to as "lagoons," stink; the smell has been known to travel for miles, even crossing over into neighboring states. The industry's polluting reputation has led some states to restrict industrial hog factories from expanding over a certain limit, and in some states, they're actually banned.

But the quality of the pork coming out of these operations just doesn't match the taste of authentic barbecue, says Ed Mitchell, the pit master at The Pit in Raleigh, North Carolina, which sources humanely raised, antibiotic- and hormone-free "heritage" pork from local farmers. "It's a different animal than what [barbecue chefs] were using 75 years ago," he says. Conventional hogs are often crossbred to ensure survival in factory conditions, and heritage breeds, like the Berkshire, Gloucester and Tamworth hogs he serves, preserve the genetic diversity and flavor variations of traditional livestock.

Barbecue has always been a relatively inexpensive food, made possible because of cheap industrial pork, and The Pit is one of few barbecue establishments that sources local, humane pork. And theirs has to be good: Like locals in Memphis and Kansas City, North Carolinians pride themselves on their well-known, regional barbecue. So far, customer response at The Pit has been positive, and Mitchell hopes the trend will catch on nationally. "We felt that if we could make this work here, in the heartland of barbecue, we figured we could make it work anywhere," he says.

If you can't find a place like The Pit in your hometown, try your hand at backyard barbecuing, and buy your pork from ethical farmers (local, if possible) who sell "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" pork, like Newman Farm in the Missouri Ozarks ($72/5-lb. picnic shoulder; www.heritagefoodsusa.com). Though not certified, Flying Pigs Farm in New York state raises antibiotic- and hormone-free heritage Gloucester and Old Spot hogs ($19/spare ribs, $34/4-lb. shoulder; www.flyingpigsfarm.com). Peaceful Pastures farm in Tennessee raises non-confined, grass-fed Tamworth hogs and sells affordable pork cuts ($19.16/4-lb. Boston Butt pork shoulder) as well as whole ($200) or half animals ($100) cut to order, if you're feeding a large crowd (www.peacefulpastures.com). Finally, Niman Ranch pork, sold nationally at Whole Foods Market and other grocery stores, is Animal Welfare Approved, a certification with welfare standards similar to those set by Certified Humane. If you can't find their products in stores, you can purchase them online ($51.98/4-lb. 8-Rib Rack, $39.98/7-lb. pork shoulder; www.nimanranch.com, 866-808-0340).

For other tips on greener barbecue, see "The Omnivore's Green Grill." Looking for other kinds of meat? Consult our Smart Shoppers Cards for Beef and Poultry.