Belly Up Get some heritage pork on that fork at SlowPig

Madison chef Dan Fox is emerging as a key figure in the Madison culinary scene. In addition to his responsibilities in the kitchen at The Madison Club and various philanthropic efforts, Fox is the driving force behind SlowPig, a toast to the heritage pig movement. On Sunday, Oct. 30 (4-10 p.m.), the Club will ring merry with both animated discussion of this porcine wonder and the clink of silverware as attendees tuck into cuts of this extraordinary breed of beast. You see, heritage pigs are special: They are purebred hogs with a distinct lineage derived from farm breeds such as Duroc, Yorkshire, Hampshire, and Berkshire; feral animals such as Ossabaw Island hogs; and rare breeds, such as Red Wattle, Guinea Hog, Choctaw, Mulefoot, Hereford, and Gloucestershire Old Spot. A tasting room will provide the opportunity to glean the differences while mixing it up with pig cognoscenti, a charcuterie school shall provide practical instruction in preparing the tender hog-flesh, and an awards ceremony will honor local purveyors of these venerable breeds.

FATSOMETER: 8. This is not a case of endless piles of meat, but there will be hog o’plenty and it will be fatty, as fat is where the best pork draws its taste from.