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PGI — Auvergne
Like Porc de Franche-Comté for smoked sausages, Porc d'Auvergne is the supreme raw material for the saucisson sec and ham that are the charcuterie pride of the Massif Central.
Pork from Auvergne, PGI (IGP) since 2011.
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Porc d'Auvergne is not a finished product like ham or saucisson: it is a sector-wide PGI (IGP), a livestock-rearing certification. Recognised in 2011 (Implementing Regulation (EU) No 765/2011, based on the order approving the product specification of 28 December 2010), the Porc d'Auvergne PGI governs pig farming within the defined geographical area — and it is this pork that subsequently becomes the Jambon d'Auvergne PGI and Saucisson sec d'Auvergne PGI produced by member businesses of the Consortium des Salaisons d'Auvergne. A philosophy of 'upstream terroir': it is because the pig grows up outdoors in Auvergne, fed on cereals, that it develops the meat qualities necessary for long curing.
Historically, pork formed the staple of the Auvergne diet, and the region has long developed a tradition of free-range rearing — it was the recognition of this expertise, in a landscape of rolling terrain and small agricultural areas ideal for outdoor roaming, that led to the establishment of the PGI in 2011. This organisation endures today, passed down through modern cooperatives and producer groups.
The Porc d'Auvergne PGI guarantees that the pig is born, reared (including post-weaning and fattening) and slaughtered within a defined radius around the geographical area, outdoors — with a minimum of 83 m² of outdoor run per animal — or in a ventilated building providing access to an outdoor run. The specification deliberately sets no mandatory breed: 'the genetics are not specific to the Auvergne pig', states the text, with the only requirement being that the sow must be free of the halothane-sensitivity gene. It is the extensive farming method — outdoor access, a cereal-based diet (at least 75% for fattening pigs) — that shapes the quality of the meat: more pronounced covering fat, firm and non-exudative flesh, both essential for the high-quality curing of ham and saucisson.
Porc d'Auvergne is a farming PGI — it is the raw material, not a finished product. The sensory criteria therefore focus on the quality of the raw meat:
Appearance
Firm meat, uniformly red in colour, non-exudative; firm, white residual backfat.
Aroma
Neutral, characteristic of quality fresh meat.
Taste
After cooking, a pleasant flavour typical of good pork, with more pronounced covering fat that accentuates the distinctive taste.
Texture
Tender and juicy in the mouth after cooking; non-exudative when raw — an essential condition for quality curing (ham, saucisson).
Cereal- or cereal-derived feed, minimum 75% for pigs over 12 weeks; cassava and sweet potato prohibited.
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Porc d'Auvergne PGI is not tasted directly — it is the raw material that becomes Jambon d'Auvergne PGI or Saucisson sec d'Auvergne PGI, produced by member companies of the Consortium des Salaisons d'Auvergne. In family cooking, it features in the traditional Auvergne pot-au-feu, potée (with cabbage, carrots, potatoes and salt pork), and Sunday roasts with herbs from the Massif Central. The quality of the meat — firmness, fine marbling, flavoursome fat — comes fully into its own with long, gentle cooking.
Pairings: Red Côtes d'Auvergne (Gamay), Saint-Pourçain, or craft beer from Velay. In terrines or rillettes, serve with a glass of crisp white wine (local Marsanne).
Since: 2011
Area covered: Allier (03, in full), Haute-Loire (43, in full), Puy-de-Dôme (63, predominantly), Cantal (15, predominantly)
Key requirements: No imposed genetics (no specific breed required); farrowing/fattening within the area, free-range (83 m²/animal) or ventilated building; feed ≥75% cereals; slaughter at 182 days (26 weeks) minimum, warm carcass weight ≥75 kg, TMP 53–64%
Cooperative / PGI management body
Craft manufacturer
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