{"id":4839,"date":"2025-09-23T19:09:31","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T11:09:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/?p=4839"},"modified":"2025-11-14T15:16:38","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T07:16:38","slug":"on-marbling-and-memory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/blog\/2025\/09\/23\/on-marbling-and-memory\/","title":{"rendered":"On Marbling and Memory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-medium-font-size\">I remember the first time I saw it. A cut of pork, pale pink with streaks of white running through it like delicate brushstrokes. It didn\u2019t look like the pork I\u2019d grown up with. This was different\u2014luxurious, almost shy in its beauty. It was <strong>Kurobuta Pork<\/strong>, and it had just arrived at the <strong>Lemuria Fine Dining<\/strong> kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-medium-font-size\">When the chef touched it, you could see why it mattered. The way the knife slid through. The way the fat softened at the edges. Later, when it was cooked, the flavor was gentle but sure of itself, the kind that doesn\u2019t need to shout to be heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cIt\u2019s the Rolls-Royce of pork,\u201d<\/em> our chef told me. <em>\u201cThe marbling gives it a juicy and buttery<\/em> <em>texture<\/em>&#8220;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">He wasn\u2019t exaggerating.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"pixcode  pixcode--separator  separator separator--line-flower\">\n<div class=\"line  line--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"line  line--right\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"star\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"arrows\">\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--right\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><strong>Where It Begins<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The story of this pork doesn\u2019t begin in the kitchen. It begins in <strong>Lipa, Batangas<\/strong>, where <strong>Esguerra Farms<\/strong> sits under the shadow of Mount Malarayat. The farm didn\u2019t start as what it is today. In 2000, it was a family rest house, a place for horses, a quiet patch of land. Slowly, it became something more\u2014home to the Philippines\u2019 first herd of <strong>purebred Berkshire pigs<\/strong>, known the world over as Kurobuta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Not all black pigs are Berkshire, but the true ones carry their history like a mark: six small white points at their nose, tail, and legs. You can see them at Esguerra Farms, grazing in the open air. You can taste them, too, when the meat reaches the plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/1.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4845\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:1920px;height:500px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/1.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/1-300x141.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/1-1024x480.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/1-768x360.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/1-1536x720.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/1-1200x563.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/1-900x422.webp 900w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/1-400x188.webp 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cNestled in Lipa, Batangas, Esguerra Farms is home to purebred Berkshire pigs.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"pixcode  pixcode--separator  separator separator--line-flower\">\n<div class=\"line  line--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"line  line--right\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"star\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"arrows\">\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--right\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><strong>The Esguerra Way<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Esguerra Farms raises its pigs differently. They are given space to move, a plant-based diet, and clean, stress-free surroundings\u2014sometimes even with music playing softly in the background. No hormones. No antibiotics. Just careful attention from in-house veterinarians and animal scientists who watch over them daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The result? Meat that holds its color, its tenderness, its flavor. Chefs prize it, not just here but in prestigious kitchens and hotels across the country, because once you\u2019ve tasted it, you understand. This isn\u2019t just pork. This is something closer to craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/2.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4846\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:1920px;height:500px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/2.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/2-300x141.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/2-1024x480.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/2-768x360.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/2-1536x720.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/2-1200x563.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/2-900x422.webp 900w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/2-400x188.webp 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cHumane and sustainable care: the Esguerra way.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"pixcode  pixcode--separator  separator separator--line-flower\">\n<div class=\"line  line--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"line  line--right\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"star\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"arrows\">\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--right\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><strong>At Lemuria<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In the quiet corners of our restaurant, with its ivy-covered walls and rustic charm, Kurobuta Pork takes on new life. Our chefs don\u2019t dress it up too much; they let it speak. Sometimes it\u2019s paired with something sweet\u2014an apple, a pear\u2014sometimes with something salty, like prosciutto. Always, it tastes like itself first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To us, that\u2019s the point. To remind you that food can be both indulgent and honest. That the best ingredients don\u2019t just fill you\u2014they tell you a story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/3.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4847\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:1920px;height:500px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/3.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/3-300x141.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/3-1024x480.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/3-768x360.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/3-1536x720.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/3-1200x563.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/3-900x422.webp 900w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/3-400x188.webp 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cAn intimate setting at Lemuria Fine Dining in Quezon City.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"pixcode  pixcode--separator  separator separator--line-flower\">\n<div class=\"line  line--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"line  line--right\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"star\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"arrows\">\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--right\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><strong>Experience Kurobuta Pork at Lemuria<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Some stories are best told at the table. At Lemuria Fine Dining in Quezon City, Metro Manila, you can taste the artistry of Esguerra\u2019s Kurobuta Pork in an unforgettable setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Eating Kurobuta Pork at Lemuria isn\u2019t just a meal. It\u2019s a memory in the making. The kind you tuck away quietly, to call up later, when you want to remember what it feels like to be surprised by food again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/4.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4848\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:1920px;height:500px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/4.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/4-300x141.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/4-1024x480.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/4-768x360.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/4-1536x720.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/4-1200x563.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/4-900x422.webp 900w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/4-400x188.webp 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cExperience the Pork Tenderloin at Lemuria Fine Dining in Quezon City.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"pixcode  pixcode--separator  separator separator--line-flower\">\n<div class=\"line  line--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"line  line--right\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"star\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"arrows\">\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--right\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">We invite you to join us, to linger, to savor, and to discover why this ingredient is more than just food\u2014it\u2019s an experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Reserve your table today and taste the Rolls-Royce of pork, only at Lemuria Fine Dining.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-align-center wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/reserve-a-seat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Reserve Now<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"pixcode  pixcode--separator  separator separator--line-flower\">\n<div class=\"line  line--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"line  line--right\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"star\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"arrows\">\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--right\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Learn More About Esguerra Farms<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The story of Kurobuta Pork begins long before it reaches our kitchen. To discover more about the pure Berkshire pigs of Esguerra Farms, their sustainable farming practices, and their passion for quality, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/esguerrakurobuta.com\/pages\/about-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Esguerra Kurobuta by Esguerra Farms<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/5.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4849\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:1920px;height:500px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/5.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/5-300x141.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/5-1024x480.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/5-768x360.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/5-1536x720.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/5-1200x563.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/5-900x422.webp 900w, https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/09\/5-400x188.webp 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cEsguerra Farms: the exclusive producer of purebred Berkshire pigs in the Philippines.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"pixcode  pixcode--separator  separator separator--line-flower\">\n<div class=\"line  line--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"line  line--right\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"star\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"arrows\">\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--left\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"arrow arrow--right\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I remember the first time I saw it. A cut of pork, pale pink with streaks of white running through it like delicate brushstrokes. It didn\u2019t look like the pork I\u2019d grown up with. This was different\u2014luxurious, almost shy in its beauty. It was Kurobuta Pork, and it had just arrived at the Lemuria Fine..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","gallery-content-unit"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4839"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5204,"href":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4839\/revisions\/5204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lemuria.com.ph\/horseshoe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}