There was definitely a ringer at this year's Memphis in May. The Fatback Collective brought in a heavy hitter, the little-known heritage breed Mangalitsa pig, with roots in Hungary and a rich backstory. (For the fascinating tale of Wooly Pigs breeder Heath Putnam and his quest to bring this deeply flavorful pig to this country, please read the James Beard-award winning story by my friend Rebekah Denn by clicking here.)

In a short documentary made about the team's inaugural appearance at MIM -- oh, yes, they will return next year -- the ultra-fatty pig is definitely one of the stars of Donald Link's Taste of Place, a series that airs on Delish.com. "We're here to champion these heritage breed pigs," said Link, the executive chef at Cochon and Herbsaint in New Orleans. "To me, it's not a trend, it's about getting it back to what's very natural."

Putnam, who's based in Seattle, but raises the Mangalitsa pigs in Iowa, said the pigs are virtually unchanged since the 1800s when they were prized for their thick layer of exceptionally tasty fat. "They were bred to feed workers during the Industrial Revolution," he said.

These days, the commodity pork industry has come under fire for raising animals in poor conditions and breeding the flavor out of the animal in favor of leaner cuts of meat. It will be interesting to watch and see whether competition teams begin to source heritage breeds and when more restaurants will get on board. I can't help wondering what a Mangalitsa pig shoulder cooked by Flora Payne would taste like. I did get a couple of bites of that winning whole hog and it was stunning, so moist and juicy, but not in that boiled-in-its-own grease kind of way that i've experienced with other whole hogs.

I wouldn't be surprised to see The Fatback Collective back up on the stage again in 2012, maybe even getting a shot at the Grand Championship.

What do you think? Can a old-fashioned breed make a big difference when it comes to competiion BBQ?