HOW TO BUTCHER PORK
(Page 8 of 9)
SPLITTING THE BACKBONE
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Split the hog carcass while it is still warm. This helps
hasten chilling as more surface is exposed. After washing
inside the carcass split it down the middle of the backbone
with a saw or cleaver. Leave about 15 inches of skin uncut
at the shoulders to keep the carcass from separating or
slipping off the gambrel or singletree. You will find that
center splitting is better because it gives you more useful
finished cuts.
FISTING OUT LEAF LARD AND PACING HAMS
Hold the end of the leaf fat with one hand and with the
fist of the other loosen the leaf fat by fisting upward.
The leaf fat is easily removed while the carcass is warm
and its removal helps the carcass chill out quicker.
For the same reasons, the hams should be faced while they
are still warm. Start the cut at the flank and continue by
following the curvature of the ham to remove the outer
layer of fat and skin from the inside of the hams. The thin
fibrous membrane next to the lean meat will shrink to it,
giving a smooth appearance to the hams after they are
cured. This membrane also protects the hams.
CHILLING
The carcass is now ready for chilling. It is impossible to
do a neat job of trimming if cutting up the carcass is
undertaken before it is thoroughly chilled out.
A quick and thorough chill is a very important factor in
turning out good meat. With the head removed, the hams
faced, and the leaf fat fisted loose and the carcass split
down the center of the backbone, you can readily see how
open it is for chilling. The air can circulate freely to
each part of the carcass. Thus the weather is used to full
advantage for getting a good chill. About 24 hours are
necessary for proper chilling, and a good rule to follow in
warmer sections is to kill in the afternoon and have the
cool night ahead for starting the chill.
For proper chilling the temperature in the center of the
hams should be lowered to around 33 to 35°. A
thermometer inserted into the center of one ham will show
you when the meat is properly chilled.
If the weather is not cool enough to insure a satisfactory
chill, the iced brine method of chilling is a good plan to
follow. By cutting each half of the carcass as illustrated
below you can quickly separate it into a few major pieces.
Fill a clean barrel about a third full of water, stirring
in the water about three pounds of Morton Salt. Put in some
large chunks of ice and the pieces of meat. This iced brine
will be colder than ordinary ice water and will
satisfactorily chill the meat even in mild weather. Another
method is to place a layer of chipped ice on a clean
surface, spreading the carcass out on the ice and putting
additional chipped ice on top. The iced brine method in the
barrel, however, is more efficient and gives a better
chill.
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