From pig to pork chop... PIC ADDED!

[GREEN_ALIEN]

Saturday afternoon we butchered up a couple of pigs for the freezer and Tuesday we got around to cutting a sealing (we only vac seal).

2 - 22lb hams
2 - 19lb hams
40 lbs bacon
50 lbs Jimmy Dean style breakfast sausage
25 lbs maple breakfast sausage
25 lbs sweet italian sausage
25 lbs kielbasa
30 - pork chops
12 - country chops
11 - loin roasts
Ribs
1 gallon of rendered lard (gave the rest away)

Last night we got around to eating some of the chops and man they were good eatin. Tender and moist all the way.

As we were making the sausage, we would mix up a batch of each flavor and while sealing that, someone else was cooking up a taste test patty. It was fun but maybe a bit morbid... handfuls of raw, ground pig and someone stuffing that same pig, cooked, into your mouth.

Ahhh, the joys of good neighbors, fresh meat and cold beer.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/GREEN_ALIEN/PIGBUTCHERING001.jpg

Ted
Crabapple Ranch

[pinetreefarm]

Ted,
Hi. How did you vac seal the large hams or did you cut them up? Thanks,

Pine Tree

[GREEN_ALIEN]

The hams and bacons are still curing and then will smoke for awhile. When done the hams will each be cut into more manageable two person sizes and vac sealed.

I will add that a commercial grade or heavy duty vac sealer is needed to do this much meat in a row. The off the shelf home versions get hot and lose their suction.

Ted
Crabapple Ranch

[MNMOM]

All I can say is, yum!!

[Txanne]

I have old plans in a Foxfire book---that tells how to build a smoke house---This post brought them to mind.

I understand some hams hung for as high as 2 years.

What kind of wood did you use GA?

And I can taste that pork roast now---mashed tatters---some gravy---spiced apple rings----- ;D

annie

[MullersLaneFarm]

Yum! threw a couple more berkshires into the freezer a couple weeks ago ourself. After 4 years of raising our own meat I still can't get over how much better they taste!

We kept a breeding berkshire sow for next year's piglets

[MYellowRose]

Got me to thinking of grilled ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn. YUM!! ;D Gotta have the corn to mix into the spuds and gravy. Also love grilled ham, and gravy over a biscuit, can't be beat.

[GREEN_ALIEN]

Thick sliced country bacon and miracle whip sandwiches...

Ted
Crabapple ranch

[AlchemyAcres]

Nothing like home butcherin'.....homemade headcheese, forcemeat and liverwurst....awesome stuff!!


Martin :)

[MNMOM]

Hubby loves liverwurst.
We use to raise alot of pork several years ago, but got out of it and stuck to dairy and beef. You just can't buy pork that tastes like what you raise yourself, same goes for beef.

[bookwormom]

yeah, liverwurst.
good neighbors and cold beer, can't beat that either.

[Txanne]

Hoghead cheese and saltines---oh yeahhhhh.

And put some tomatoe on that bacon samich. ;D

[GREEN_ALIEN]

I added a picture of the work in progress to the original post.

Note it was about 26 degrees and hot buttered rums were flowing freely.

Ted
Crabapple Ranch

[AlchemyAcres]

...hot buttered rums were flowing freely.

Gosh....Wish i coulda helped! LOL


~Martin :)

[GREEN_ALIEN]

Hitch a ride Martin, your always welcome and I always have a porker to work on. Hell if you came out we might hafta break out a cow lol.

Ted

[hillbilly_mom]

This is a job we will be doing soon. I can't wait. We just ate the last pack of pork chops from last year's butchering. We have been without bacon for 2 weeks now. I am ready for it!!

[Connie]

Hi,
Those 2 pigs look really good. My husband butchered our first pig last fall and we still have plenty in the freezer. You are right nothing is betterr than home butchered meats. We are looking forward to getting another pig this spring. I can't wait!!!!!

[BUTTERSMOM]

I have old plans in a Foxfire book---that tells how to build a smoke house.

Too funny, my bro & I have been swapping books looking forward to August, and Foxfire is on my endtable right now. Was my Dad's :)

[Nicole]

We are fattening a pig right now. I can't wait to butcher it. The pork makes your mouth water, Those 2 pigs look delicious.

[Cheryl]

Is it better to home butcher a pig than send it to the butcher?, Me and my husband raised our first pig and hes 5 months old and ready for the market.

[rassd71]

This may not be the best forum for this, but is it possilble for you to post your recipe for Italian Sausage??

[danville]

Martin
What is forcemeat?

[EarthMother]

Is the meat from a boar edible? If not, what do I do with a boar I have? dog food?

[WileyCoyote]

All meat is edible, just depends on the processing and what you are used to. Wild Boar hunting is a big deal where I come from; and yes everyone eats them! You process them just like a domestic pig.

I've eaten squirrel, possum, deer, turkey, rabbit, and wild pig. I cut up the squirrel, though - because they look like embryos in the frying pan. *:P It's a personal choice... *

My cousin lives in a suburb of Phoenix and they are overrun with javalinas. I told her to shoot em, but they can't - local ordinances protect "wildlife" even though they tear up the yards in packs. She couldn't even put out a Halloween pumpkin - the javalinas tore them up all over the yards. *

[EarthMother]

Hey Wiley,

I personally will eat any meat that God provides. I have eaten all the meat you have mentioned except the wild boar. I was just wondering if the taste is acceptable. My sister was the one who brought up the point of flavor. Since the sow is weaning a litter it might be best to harvest him now befoe she goes into heat. Perhaps he will not have a musky taste.

As for processing, we plan on processing the same way we butcher a deer. I have no smoke house so I'll have to cure meat in a brine. Thanks for your help.