Pig Butchering Ideas?

All Meats Including BEEF, PORK, LAMB & GAME
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JPete
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Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:18 pm

Pig Butchering Ideas?

Post by JPete »

We have 5 x 50kg -60kg pigs on the hook (and a couple of lambs), got the day off tomorrow and will be assisting the butcher to butcher them.

What is the some of the primo cuts to get? I will be going to nice backed ribs and slabs of belly. Keeping the shoulders for big pulled pork. But otherwise i am not too sure. We can't get anything smoked, its on the farm kill. Just butchered and packaged.
Bentley
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Re: Pig Butchering Ideas?

Post by Bentley »

Like you, I would want as many bellies as they would give me! And the Hocks! Loin & tenderloin too! And if you make sausage, as much intestine as they will give you!
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Narmnaleg
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Re: Pig Butchering Ideas?

Post by Narmnaleg »

The cheeks are my favourite part. Salt cure them to make guanciale.
JPete
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Re: Pig Butchering Ideas?

Post by JPete »

Thanks for tip, i did ask for lots of belly after reading that. I got a nice full rack of ribs too, and same from the lamb. The Heads are just tossed, i dont think the butcher likes trying to butcher when it has a gunshot wound.

We have a done a few home kills, but this is the first when there was 7 beasts - it was awesome to watch the guy in action, full pro butcher and very nice bloke, he butchered 5 pigs and 2 lambs, packed up and ready to go home in 2.5hrs.

Its quite busy and hard to stop him and ask questions so ended up with more chops than racks of rib roasts than i would've liked but no complaints, we love pork chops. He did save stuff like lamb necks, a whole pork and lamb shoulders racks of ribs and bellies.

Ended up with 65kg of pork and 20kg of milk lamb.
niko123456
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Re: Pig Butchering Ideas?

Post by niko123456 »

nice. what was your investment?

when you say gunshot wound, you don't mean these were wild pigs? or just the method of kill?
beaver
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Re: Pig Butchering Ideas?

Post by beaver »

jpete,

the first issue you will face is "do you want belly or meaty ribs"
the next issue you will face will be "do you want meaty baby back ribs or the loin"

you will get some belly but will realise there is parts that are almost throw away or just skin because you have leaned more towards meaty ribs.
its hard to descibe here without a demonstration but its the common butcher dilema when customers ask for "meaty ribs" as butchers will soon learn that they will be able to sell premium belly for good $$$ and still be able to sell shiners at a reasonable price.

if it were my call, go for meaty ribs and take you have left over of the belly.
there will be some skin left over for chicharron which is still a nice byproduct.

as for the shoulder. i have found that hitting the ball joint right on the mark will give you an almost perfect boston butt and even the front leg will do some pretty good pulled pork in its self.
as for the hind make some good picknik ham or even debone and make prosciutto

after that there isnt a whole lot left other than hocks for smoked in beans and some jowel


GOOD LUCK with which ever way you choose to butcher and its a great way to have some empathy for the local butchers dilemas
JPete
Posts: 108
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:18 pm

Re: Pig Butchering Ideas?

Post by JPete »

Sorry just saw this and we have pigs on again ready for feb, so i was re reading stuff.
beaver wrote:jpete,

the first issue you will face is "do you want belly or meaty ribs"
the next issue you will face will be "do you want meaty baby back ribs or the loin"
Belly and kept loin whole and do it myself later - i can cut those pretty good now and keep the loin a nice shape and keep plenty on my ribs, i buy em from the butcher whole and do them too.
you will get some belly but will realise there is parts that are almost throw away or just skin because you have leaned more towards meaty ribs.
its hard to describe here without a demonstration but its the common butcher dilema when customers ask for "meaty ribs" as butchers will soon learn that they will be able to sell premium belly for good $$$ and still be able to sell shiners at a reasonable price.

if it were my call, go for meaty ribs and take you have left over of the belly.
there will be some skin left over for chicharron which is still a nice byproduct.

as for the shoulder. i have found that hitting the ball joint right on the mark will give you an almost perfect boston butt and even the front leg will do some pretty good pulled pork in its self.
as for the hind make some good picknik ham or even debone and make prosciutto

after that there isnt a whole lot left other than hocks for smoked in beans and some jowel

GOOD LUCK with which ever way you choose to butcher and its a great way to have some empathy for the local butchers dilemas
[/quote]

We didnt make any hams and wont from the next ones either. Those hinds we made into 2 smaller/leaner roasts each. We ended up with a couple of HUGE shoulders and i cooked them slow and whole for pulled pork with plenty of people over. We smoke the hocks and use them in soups. I will have that skin in the freezer, not sure what to do with it :) We have a few other bits like that eg oxtail from the last cow we did.

One thing i notice. When we have pork and lamb we go through it, but the beef takes quite a while. In Feb i am getting 2 whole pigs and i hope a lamb.
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