April is a time when fresh Australian pork is at its most plentiful, at its peak quality, and is most economical - deliciously putting consumers in the winning seat.
Dominique Rizzo, chef, author and presenter has built a reputation for inspiring people to cook with fresh, seasonal and local produce. And nothing will be more seasonal than pork this April.
"I am deeply passionate about creating innovative food using quality safe and clean fresh produce," Rizzo says.
From her earliest childhood memories of visiting family in Sicily and being part of the festive sharing of a whole pig in the family village, Dominique Rizzo has been fascinated with food - and pork has been an integral, cultural part of that fascination.
This year, the Easter and ANZAC Day holidays will make April an extraordinary month for entertaining and cooking and the bounty of PorkFest is destined to take centre stage.
During April, butchers and supermarkets will join the PorkFest band wagon showcasing fresh Aussie pork while restaurant chefs will hero pork on their menus.
With the country already slipping into another severe drought the pork farmers are hoping April will be good for them - and consumers alike.
Why April? Australia's pig herd predominantly consists of two types of white pigs (Large Whites and Landrace) which are sometimes crossed with the robust Duroc breed.
They are leaner, faster growing pigs that traditionally don't breed and grow out as well over the warmer summer months. As the weather starts to cool down their growth rate and fertility lifts due to the cooler weather.
It takes about six months for a pig to go from birth to market. Pigs that are born June, July and August of the previous year hit the market around April of the year ahead.
And as it gets cooler their growth rate increases as well. So much so that earlier piglet batches catch up in size with previous litters. Consequently as nature would have it, more pigs come onto the market during April.
