AN OLD-FASHIONED HOG SLAUGHTER

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

CHILLING

The hog should be chilled at a temperature of between 33° and 40°F for at least 24 hours before sectioning and freezing or curing. This is extremely important, since trying to preserve meat that has not had the chance to gradually reach the proper internal temperature can result in souring. If you're hanging the carcass outdoors or in a barn or shed (as opposed to a meat locker or coldstorage warehouse), be sure to rig it high enough to be well out of reach of dogs, cats, and other likely scavengers. If insects are still a problem at butchering time, build a cage or tent around the hanging meat from some sort of screening material. Don't wrap the pork with gauze or sacking, though, because the covering would drastically slow the loss of body heat.

The best way to determine that the carcass has been properly chilled is to insert a meat thermometer in the center of one ham (the thickest, slowest-to-cool portion of the body). When the gauge registers a reading of 33° to 35°F, your hog is ready to be sectioned. Never try to cure or freeze meat that hasn't cooled to an internal temperature of 40°F or lower.

If the weather is too warm for proper chilling, and getting the pork to a meat locker or similar facility isn't feasible, you can use iced brine to lower the temperature of the carcass. First, section both halves of the swine as shown in Fig. 5. Then fill a large, clean barrel about a third full of water, stir in three pounds or so of table salt, and add some large chunks of ice. Next, pack the meat sections in the tub. The ice brine will be colder than regular ice water, chilling the pork thoroughly (again, use the thermometer to check). As an alternative, you could place a layer of chipped or shaved ice on a table, spread the split carcass on top, and put another layer of ice over it. This method is not as efficient as using iced brine, but it will do the job.

TABLE MEAT

Once the pork has been properly chilled, it's ready to be sectioned, then frozen or cured. Besides preparing the obvious cuts — chops, hams, roasts, ribs, bacon, and so on — you can find a use for very nearly every part of the pig if you've a mind to. (The old saying about using everything but the oink is only a slight exaggeration.) The head, for instance, can be used for making souse meat, headcheese, and other down-home delicacies (see " Pozole, a Mexican Treasure " on page 188). Jowls can be cured or smoked, and the large quantities of fat that your porker has provided you with can be rendered for lard or used in making soap. Trimmings are just the thing for preparing your own sausage, either link or bulk, and pickled pig's feet are considered by many to be a gourmet's delight. You can even grind up the odd parts (like the ears, tail, and excess skin) for use in scrapple.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print