So its that time again- despatching and preparing the pigs for the freezer. We always call on some help to shoot/stun the pigs (before they are bled- we refuse to kill them in the local Portuguese method with no stunning first), and once they are removed of hair and cleaned, our neighbour assists with removing the guts- this is a very precise skill and needs to be done correctly. Once all this is done- with the help of Hugh and Ray- Pig in a Day DVD (we still use this for reference to get us started and remind us of the cuts), and a glass of local white port we can crack on with the chopping!
We butcher our pigs in the traditional English fashion- which gives us a great selection of different sized cuts and joints- Spare Ribs, Rib Roast, Chump End, Loin, Tenderloin, Bacon, Chops, Rolled Belly, Leg, Hock, Shoulder etc, and of course plenty of sausages!
Its such a rewarding time- there's something very special about filling up your freezer with your own outdoor reared, happy pork, the taste is far superior to supermarket pork, and a great feeling of satisfaction- knowing that we will have alot of wonderful meals to come and full tummies (and the dogs have a pretty good feed aswell!)
3 comments:
queem Would love to do this too. Alas I don't think Fraser would ever be convinced. The meat will be wonderful so...enjoy. Still would like to discuss your adopt a pig project. How much would you charge for a pig? We could do our own butchering.Sx.x.
Absolutely bloody brilliant you two!! we just cant wait to be there doing the same thing with the odd goat and sheep too, (so we can share of course) XXXXXXXXX
Hi, I have a husband that loves cooking and especially smoking pork. He is in the process of building a portable smoker on a trailer, that will smoke a whole pig. I know that he has taken some beginning photos and plans to post the entire building steps as he goes. He'll probably start posting them very soon. This will be the third or forth smoker that he has built. I just thought it might be something you would be interested in, or even want to build yourself. Follow him at
http://woodworkinandgoodeats.blogspot.com/ I'm sure that if you follow him, he will return the favor. Have a great day, Connie:)
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