hog butchering help

Mainegg · October 2009

The farmer called last night and left a message that We have a half a pig at the butcher and once again I need a little help in telling them what cuts I want.
the main things that I know I want to do is bacon both kinds, so I know the loin and the butt?? right?? and I want to smoke the hocks myself for soup and beans. I want to do sausage so any odd chunks and scraps... the "hams" I can cure also right? the tenderloins I want separate and what else? HELP Please

emilluca · October 2009

1/2 a hog will give you from front to rear
1 fresh pig foot can leave on picnic put would make it a little long
1 fresh picnic
1 pork shoulder (butt) can then be cooked for buckboard
if shoulder is boned 1 neckbone
1 spare rib
1 slab bacon 10-14 lbs depending on size of hog ususally you would not cure but would cold smoke.
1 loin can be boneless and then you would have 1 slab backribs and 1 piece small bones from the loin end.
1 fresh ham bone in and it can be cured and then smoked on egg.
1 pig foot from rear leg
Hope that helps.
You will have trim for the sausage that is prouduced from what comes off the spare ribs and boning the shoulder.
By the way you can cure and smoke the neckbones and that makes great seasoning for beans.

Mainegg · October 2009

THANK YOU! that is what I needed, I have been pouring over the butcher charts with my coffee this morning and was not sure what would be the best use of meat for the egg. I knew an egger would be the best help :)mainly I want to do the curing and smoking myself for the ham and the bacon. and to make sausage

thanks again

emilluca · October 2009

Cure and smoke the feet also. Never have seen somked feet in the retail store put sure could work and make great seasoning. Forgot to say the pig feet is to the first knuckle and then you have ham hocks from the knuckle up and that is what is cured and smoked. Sold has smoked hocks.

fishlessman · October 2009

i didnt see bone in country rib roast in emillucas post, that you can cut into country ribs and theres a small two inch section of riblets that is cut off of that, makes nice snacks. they will grind that into burger if you dont ask for it, it is the section of loin that is darker meat with a fatty section, more flavor than the loin, but not as clean looking

Unknown · October 2009

do you make pates and sausages?

back fat, caul fat, liver, pork belly (you can certainly cur/cold-smoke this for good old bacon-bacon), kidneys... all good!

a nice gal and mutual egger recommended American Charcuterie" (out of print i think but attainable) to me a while back and it's worked out great. Ruhlman's "Charcuterie" also (new).

American Charcuterie by Victoria Wise

and

Charcuterie by Ruhlman

good luck.
-J

thirdeye · October 2009

Julie,

Go over the cut sheet that your butcher provided you with. They are usually generous with answers because they want repeat business.

The biggest thing to remember is that sometimes when you pick one thing, you loose another. For example if you select center cut pork chops, you can't get a whole loin (that is the large muscle in a pork chop). Likewise if you ask for country (shoulder) ribs, you will not get a butt.

Having the bacon cured by them is a coin toss. I've had very good bacon, and not-so-good from the smaller processors.

Having scraps ground is good for sausage, and if you have any favorite recipes ask if you can pre-mix your own spices and just have them add the seasonings as they grind. You can mix your seasonings in baggies that will work for 5 # batches.

thirdeye · October 2009

They do add a lot of flavor to beans and such....

Recognize these bad boys, I do them several times a year for my buddies mom.

Mainegg · October 2009

that is what i was most afraid of.. of asking for something and eliminating another. It is a new butcher that our farmer took miss piggie to as the steaks cut on the last beef were BAD. we all wanted nice 2 inch and some went from 1/2 to 1 1/2 no 2 inch to be found and not cut straight. so they have changed. I do not have a cut sheet as I can't make it over to them :( to much going on. mainly I want to try doing our own bacon and sausage and curing the ham :)with it this late we will keep it all frozen and haul it to fl with us and there is my Jan projects lol

thirdeye · October 2009

I want to try doing our own bacon and sausage and curing the ham.

Well that's a start, and that eliminates the rear leg, the lower belly, and gives you a start for some ground meat for sausage. For this you will order fresh bacon side, fresh ham, grind trim for sausage.
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You still need to visit with the cutter, the last thing you want is for he or she to think you don't know what you want.

Anyway, this leaves you:

1. Spare ribs, full slab OR St. Louis cut

2. Whole loin & tenderloin OR chops (how thick)

3. Shoulder Picnic, whole OR steaks OR grind for sausage

4. Shoulder Butt, whole OR pork steaks (how thick) OR, Country Ribs, OR grind for sausage

5. Neck bones

6. Hocks

7. Jowl and trotters (this one is up to you)

Other trim - grind for sausage
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Personally, from the above choices I would go with the following:

* Spare ribs, full slab.

* Chops, 3/4 or 1" thick, most possible (you will get rib chops and center cut chops) You need to tell how many per package.

* Shoulder Picnic, grind for sausage

* Shoulder Butt, 3/4" or 1" pork steaks, grind trim

* Neck bones, two packages

* Hocks, fresh

* Trim, grind for sausage

For the ground pork, you will need to tell them how much per package.

ranger ray · October 2009

look on you tube.... there's a wealth of info on there.... rr

hog butchering help

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