Our Commitment
White Heart Ranch has been feeding families since 1906. Our 5th generation family farm is centrally located in beautiful North Dakota where we take pride in our farrow to fork pig operation and our gate to plate cattle operation. In our fields you will find diversified small grains such as canola, flax, barley, oats, and millet.
Sterling Cuts, our store that sells USDA certified and inspected retail cuts of beef and pork, was created because of our dedicated commitment to supplying high quality, nutritious foods to everyone at an affordable cost while building a bridge that shortens the gap between consumers and producers.
Our Animals
The Slogan for Sterling Cuts is "Raised to be a cut above the rest." Our animals' health is our top priority. Healthy animals means healthy food for everyone.
Heritage Pork
Heritage is to meat what heirloom is to vegetables—traditional breeds being revived for a wider range of flavors. “Heritage” refers to the breeds of pigs that have been raised for hundreds of years. These select breeds were established through selective breeding to preserve their adaptable traits and to keep their bloodlines pure.
Many people believe that heritage pork is straight up better. They have a higher fat marbling throughout the meat, which equates to richer deeper flavor. Here at White Heart Ranch we like to allow the pigs to live like pigs as much as possible, which also allows the meat to develop more flavor. Our pigs live most of their lives ouside in the dirt to rut and wallow in the mud holes. In the winter months is when we will bring the soon to be mamas in to the barn to farrow (give birth) so we can keep a closer eye on them if they need extra attention. Once the piglets are big enough to wean, they all get to go outside to live the pig life.
Some of the Heritage Breeds you will find on our farm are:
- Berkshire pork has a naturally smokey sweet flavor and is prized for its evenly distributed, mild-flavored, well-marbled fat. It is a relatively rare, highly protected pedigree breed. This breed yields a brighter pork than most and has a hint of nuttiness.
- Duroc pork is known for its rich red color, incredible juiciness, and relatively mild flavor, especially compared to the bold flavor of many heritage hog breeds. Its sweet meat, marbling, and amazing shoulders and spareribs are sought after traits of the Durocs. pigs are a distinctive red color and have what can only be described as adorable droopy ears. It is the second most common breed in the U.S.
- Gloucestershire old spots (GOS) pork is even more difficult to find than some of these other breeds, but it is a well-marbled, nutty-tasting meat that butchers and chefs adore. This breed is valued for the high quality of its meat for chops and roasts. It's known for its top-notch maternal skills, allowing litters to be raised successfully on pasture.
- Hampshire pork is lean, perhaps the leanest of any breed, with a mild flavor. Purebred
- Tamworth is a lean hog that is considered y many to produce the best bacon in the United States since it has a big, long belly. It's also known for its extra-large chops.
Fat (aka lard) is what makes heritage pork sing. Heritage pork is marbled with fats that help a human body stay healthy and strong, thanks to beneficial fatty acids that lower cholesterol. And when you put our meat on the grill, it is the fat that carmelizes, and makes it taste so delicious. WE invite you to give our Heritage pork products a try - you will be satisfied.
