July 29, 2016
CapitalPress.com
Eric Mortenson/Capital Press
Zack Agopian, who operates Corini Gourmet’s meat and seafood
distribution ofice in Portland, struck a deal to sell a Washington
producer’s minimally processed hogs to chefs at university and
corporate cafes.
Giving value to
going ‘whole hog’
By ERIC MORTENSON
Capital Press
PORTLAND — Zachary
Agopian posed it as a ques-
tion, a challenge to the insti-
tutional chefs who demand
top-light meat and seafood,
and to the Washington state
hog farmer whose operation
is described as setting the
“gold standard” for humane
treatment.
“How do we get the price
down on really high-end pork
that’s sustainably grown?”
Agopian asked his collabora-
tors.
The retail market wants
pork in neat, vacuum-packed,
sealed packages with the fat
trimmed and the bone re-
moved. But chefs at Bon Ap-
petit, which operates universi-
ty and corporate cafes, didn’t
necessarily need it that way.
So Agopian, who manages
a Portland distribution ofice
for Corini Gourmet, forged
an agreement in which Bon
Appetit buys minimally pro-
cessed whole hogs, delivered
in cardboard boxes. Buying
the whole animal instead of
selected cuts drives the price
down and greatly simpliies
life for Pure Country Pork,
of Ephrata, Wash., which
doesn’t have to cut, package,
store and ind buyers for the
less-desirable parts.
Observers describe the
arrangement as a signiicant
tweak of the food system.
They say buyers need to walk
the talk if they truly want to
support local meat producers
who treat their animals hu-
manely, don’t conine hogs in
gestation crates and don’t use
antibiotics.
A Bon Appetit buyer said
the program is working be-
cause Agopian is completely
transparent in his dealings.
Buyers get a breakdown of
carcass weights, Agopian’s
markup and other informa-
tion.
Agopian, a former chef
himself, believes the model
can be applied to other protein
markets. He said chefs have
taken up the challenge of ind-
ing menu uses for the whole
hog.
Chefs also prefer the
high-quality meat they’re
buying, he said.
“You braise it down to
make carnitas — which one
tastes better?” he asked. “The
one with fat and bone, every
time. It’s a no-brainer.”
This story irst appeared
May 13, 2016.
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