Butchering a Hog

[Tucker301]

Well, my truant hog has moved on, so no joy on that front.
Still, this is poetry in motion.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JtnsZ2JaKso" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Cool stuff. Wish I had the chance to learn from my grandparents more about how they did stuff, curing/cold smoking and what not

 

[vh20]

Gosh, when I clicked on the Title this is not what I expected, based on the previous posts. I just knew it had come to a violent, yet tasty end.

Around here when I was growing up, a properly butchered hog made use of "everything but the squeal."

 

[1J04]

Ok Mr EastCoast Man. Maybe next time buddy.

 

[Dirty D]

Well, my truant hog has moved on, so no joy on that front.
Still, this is poetry in motion.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JtnsZ2JaKso" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Pure unadulterated glorious food porn! I make it a point to bring my deer carcasses home every fall and butcher them after they have hung on the kids swing set so my kids can understand and appreciate where their meat comes from.

 

[splean]

Great videos. I like how they make it look easy. Scott Rea is a Brit butcher on You Tube who has processed just about everything. They are pretty entertaining and worth checking out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXPmxWEXrRU&t=588s

 

[fdkay]

Let me tell you the RIGHT way to butcher a hog.
You take the hog home, hang it up in your backyard and tell your wife that it is ready for her.
Next thing you know, meat in the freezer.

 

[Veer_G]

The butchering was an event nigh on to Thanksgiving in my extended family. My second cousin on my mother's side was the only one still farming. It was a day-long event, and I think half of what could be got consumed then and there, asíde from the bacon, the maw, and anything else requiring more time and preparation.

 

[Dirty D]

The butchering was an event nigh on to Thanksgiving in my extended family. My second cousin on my mother's side was the only one still farming. It was a day-long event, and I think half of what could be got consumed then and there, asíde from the bacon, the maw, and anything else requiring more time and preparation.

Butchering a hog is still an event in some parts of the country but getting more rare, my mothers side of the family are from south Louisiana where they still get together to butcher a hog. There is an episode of Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain where he is in south Louisiana when they get together and as a professional chef with years of butchering experience he was blown away by the advanced techniques and social camaraderie that he saw. What you got to experience is more than meat, it is understanding where that meat comes from and it is an irreplaceable family experience.

 

[Veer_G]

Butchering a hog is still an event in some parts of the country but getting more rare, my mothers side of the family are from south Louisiana where they still get together to butcher a hog. There is an episode of Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain where he is in south Louisiana when they get together and as a professional chef with years of butchering experience he was blown away by the advanced techniques and social camaraderie that he saw. What you got to experience is more than meat, it is understanding where that meat comes from and it is an irreplaceable family experience.

I think my best memory of those days were the fresh cracklins and home-made bread. Grease and carbohydrates; no wonder my family's cardiac history is so damned wretched.

 

[MtnCreek]

Tenderloin was never sat down. It was handed to Granny or her sister, cooked and served with biscuits to the men still processing. Brains & eggs was served the following morning. My job was mostly rubbing sugar cure and hanging in jute sacks from wires.

 

[MtnCreek]

The butchering was an event nigh on to Thanksgiving in my extended family. ....

My moms side did that. Their people moved through PA on their way to VA and TN. Probably a linked tradition somewhere there.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Tenderloin was never sat down. It was handed to Granny or her sister, cooked and served with biscuits to the men still processing. Brains & eggs was served the following morning. My job was mostly rubbing sugar cure and hanging in jute sacks from wires.

How long did ya let the meat cure/hang? Ie I wouldnt give a second thought to doing a quick bacon cure, etc.. but something like country ham I feel certain Id fuck it up. Yet it seems all the old timers knew how to do it just fine, no black mold or nothin..
Also, say you got a country ham hanging wherever its hanging, and you cut off a slice to eat... wont there then be exposed meat -> you have to cut up and freeze the whole deal? Aint no way a lil family of 4 would finish a whole ham before black mold or what have you sets in to the now-exposed meat right..? So what, can you apply some lard/flour mix to the exposed spot and call it good to keep hanging??

Also, dont hardly ever hear about cured venison "hams".? I guess you could do a bresaola-type deal but never tried it.

 

[MtnCreek]

Hams would hang for weeks before they were ready. The whole ham takes the cure, not just the outside. We wanted the cure going on while the meat was still warm; supposedly it took the cure better that way. I've hung deer for over two weeks with no cure. Temps need to be somewhat stable topping off at about 40 max (same as curing hams). The outside gets leathery; that's trimmed once it's cut up. Not saying you should though, lots of things have changed re food handling.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

I've hung deer for over two weeks with no cure.

Damn! Lol..
No worries of critters stealing off with your haul? Guessin it aint just out in the open for Wile E to make a run at it..?

Where we toss the guts down by the creek, its all ate up well before 2 weeks.

 

[hlee]

Damn! Lol..
No worries of critters stealing off with your haul? Guessin it aint just out in the open for Wile E to make a run at it..?

Where we toss the guts down by the creek, its all ate up well before 2 weeks.

And down here where I hunt, a deer will spoil while you watch if you hang it. Deboned and into an ice chest before the carcass has a chance to cool is how we roll in South Texas.

 

[K-tech]

Coyote, butchers will hang meat in lockers to age for a month or better. Like Mtn said temperature is important as well as humidity and air circulation. Not much beats cutting up animals and sucking down a few cold ones.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

And down here where I hunt, a deer will spoil while you watch if you hang it. Deboned and into an ice chest before the carcass has a chance to cool is how we roll in South Texas.

Ain't too much different except for humidity I'd wager, South Ga is my home and stomping ground..

 

[Threadcutter308]

Let me tell you the RIGHT way to butcher a hog.
You take the hog home, hang it up in your backyard and tell your wife that it is ready for her.
Next thing you know, meat in the freezer.

Yeah, that's the correct way. (in my household anyway.....) You try to do it yourself and you're guaranteed of being wrong!

 

[FS1]

When I saw the title I thought to myself oh no another Hillary thread.

 

[MtnCreek]

Damn! Lol..
No worries of critters stealing off with your haul? Guessin it aint just out in the open for Wile E to make a run at it..?

Where we toss the guts down by the creek, its all ate up well before 2 weeks.

Hung in a smokehouse. The two 'windows' in the smokehouse were screens made from wire about the size of my finger. No big critters were getting in. The reason meat is hung from a wire is cause a mouse can't climb down it w/o falling off.

Next time you run up on a old farmplace in the woods somewhere, look for a wood floor that's somehow managed to outlast the rest of the remains of the farm. That's were they hung their meat.

 

[Veer_G]

When I saw the title I thought to myself oh no another Hillary thread.

Too tough in part, and you'd be forever trying to get all the rancid fat off the rest of her.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Hung in a smokehouse. The two 'windows' in the smokehouse were screens made from wire about the size of my finger. No big critters were getting in. The reason meat is hung from a wire is cause a mouse can't climb down it w/o falling off.

Next time you run up on a old farmplace in the woods somewhere, look for a wood floor that's somehow managed to outlast the rest of the remains of the farm. That's were they hung their meat.

Cool shit. As I understand it, smokehouses only for cold smoke right? Is there any reason cold smokings more conducive to preservation? Don't harly see folks doing a hot smoke + cure, usually is only cold smoke + cure so..
Also, do you smoke your venison? I know with hot smoking it you gotta wrap with bacon to keep it from drying out..not sure if thatd be an issue cold smoking?
Ain't got no smokehouses on the land afaik, only tobacco barns used to cure the tobacco with..

 

[K-tech]

When I saw the title I thought to myself oh no another Hillary thread.

My mind went right to Amy Schumer ha ha