Beginning Slaughtering & Butchering Technique
Beginning Slaughtering & Butchering Technique
I have a small potato farm about 60 miles north of San Francisco not too far from the coast. I work full time and in Nov I got 2 Tamworth and 2 Berkshire feeder hogs to raise for meat and to help me take out a huge stand of blackberries; I take out the vines and they take out the roots. They are doing a really nice job.
I have Stanley's book on sausages and some other books on butchering. I built a smoker out of an old filing cabinet and built a cold smoke generator from and old grease gun and some plumbing parts. I have a walk-in cooler that was a Matson refregerated shipping container and two old freezers in the patio. I am getting all the supplies and things needed to process these 4 pigs. I think I will be starting next month.
I was also able to get a DVD of the butchering and processing methods used in Montenegro (former Yugoslavia) where they don't use much water. They torch the hair off and use limb loppers on the ribs. They do not hang the pig or use a meat saw. It is very interesting.
I am getting everything set up to butcher next month and sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed because I am going to do everything myself. I plan to forge ahead no matter what. I am most concerned about carving the time out with only weekends available - looks like I might have a few late nights after work!
I have Stanley's book on sausages and some other books on butchering. I built a smoker out of an old filing cabinet and built a cold smoke generator from and old grease gun and some plumbing parts. I have a walk-in cooler that was a Matson refregerated shipping container and two old freezers in the patio. I am getting all the supplies and things needed to process these 4 pigs. I think I will be starting next month.
I was also able to get a DVD of the butchering and processing methods used in Montenegro (former Yugoslavia) where they don't use much water. They torch the hair off and use limb loppers on the ribs. They do not hang the pig or use a meat saw. It is very interesting.
I am getting everything set up to butcher next month and sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed because I am going to do everything myself. I plan to forge ahead no matter what. I am most concerned about carving the time out with only weekends available - looks like I might have a few late nights after work!
Last edited by sendin on Sun Mar 18, 2012 06:09, edited 1 time in total.
- Chuckwagon
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It's nice to have you with us Sendin. It sounds like you have a great plan and nothing succeeds like a great plan! Butchering can get to be pretty involved, but well worth all the work in the long run. It sounds like you pretty much know your way around hogs. Are you an 'old hand' at sausage making? Yumm, nothing like the great taste of pork. But take it from an old cattleman... never name anything you plan to eat!
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
PS. I really enjoyed your potato website. Congrats and good luck.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
PS. I really enjoyed your potato website. Congrats and good luck.
Last edited by Chuckwagon on Tue Mar 13, 2012 01:29, edited 1 time in total.
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill!
New to sausages, new to raising my own pigs - but not new to hunting them!
I have six volunteers and one is a retired Safeway butcher, but my gut tells me to tackle it solo.
That is probably not very practical so I need to decide what to do. Not sure I want more than one or two helpers assuming they can actually help!
I am sure I will be back here asking for advice from those who go at it like this - hoof to freezer that is.
Thanks for your reply.
I have six volunteers and one is a retired Safeway butcher, but my gut tells me to tackle it solo.
That is probably not very practical so I need to decide what to do. Not sure I want more than one or two helpers assuming they can actually help!
I am sure I will be back here asking for advice from those who go at it like this - hoof to freezer that is.
Thanks for your reply.
- NorCal Kid
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Welcome Sendin!
Nice to know a local up-n-coming butcher!
I love the little town of sebastopol. My wife & I try to make the big Apple fair there regularly & trek up there from the east bay.
I look forward to seeing your results here!
Kevin
Nice to know a local up-n-coming butcher!
I love the little town of sebastopol. My wife & I try to make the big Apple fair there regularly & trek up there from the east bay.
I look forward to seeing your results here!
Kevin
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. — Hebrews 13:8
I don't expect this to change anything but it is an interesting look into the past. http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=15403
Ross- tightwad home cook
- Butterbean
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Doing it yourself is no difficult job. Important thing to decide up front is whether or not you want to scald and scrape the pig and have a plan in place to keep from having a lot of dead time. If you plan on making sausages out of the whole thing there is no real reason to scrape it and I'd suggest packaging and labeling the meat as you go. You can label the meat as lean, fat, mix 70/30 etc. Then you can freeze it and it will be at the ready when you go to make sausages - oh, and package it in 5 lb increments. If you do it this way you can just skin, clean and chill the package.
However, if you are going to cure hams and such then you will probably want to scald it. This isn't hard but you probably will want another person to help with this mainly to aid in manipulation and movement of the carcass cause I guarantee you the sucker is heavier than you are estimating it is. BTW - if you don't have scales you can measure from the base of his tail to the base of his neck and multiply this by his circumfrance of his chest squared then divide by 400. Ie - (42 x 40 x 40 )/ 400 = 176.4 lbs.. I do it several ways but the last three I've done has been a hispanic style where I don't dip the whole carcass but put it on a table and lay burlap over it then pour scalding water (155-160F) over the burlap. The burlap helps hold the heat and disperce the water better than just pouring it on the skin itself. You don't want the water too hot or it will set the hair. Once you get the knack of doing this removing the hair is just as easy as pulling the skin off your sunburn skin. Essentially you are just putting a first degree burn on it. I use bell scrapers and knives to just pull the hair and first layer of skin off.
Here is the kettle I use along with some pine boughs which help release the hairs.
Once this is finished, I take the burlap and make a chock with it and turn the pig on its back using the burlap as a chock to keep the belly up. I then open the gut and disect the insides putting the entrails in three different buckets. The heart, lungs, kidney and caul fat go in one bucket, the intestines in another, and the waste in a third. (BTW - Most hamburger joints will gladly give you their pickle buckets and these are all food grade and of good quality)
After this, I cut the head off and split the carcass with a saw. I have a meat saw but I've used a circular saw (don't suggest) and a sawzall. Once split, put it in the cooler for a night to chill. This is the perfect time to clean up and prepare your brines and things so the next day things will go smoothly.
Here is the outcome.
And a few of the pork chops.
While its not difficult I cannot stress how important it is to have some clear objectives and have a plan and have everything ready. I'd highly recommend getting the brines prepared prior to the actual cut up day. Preferably have them chilling along with the meat itself. This fills in the void times and makes things go so much smoother and you are less apt to make mistakes as you are not rushed for time.
Good luck.
Oh, and be sure to save the blood for the boudin noir.
And the final prize. A boudin noir and fresh bacon as part of a home grown breakfast.
However, if you are going to cure hams and such then you will probably want to scald it. This isn't hard but you probably will want another person to help with this mainly to aid in manipulation and movement of the carcass cause I guarantee you the sucker is heavier than you are estimating it is. BTW - if you don't have scales you can measure from the base of his tail to the base of his neck and multiply this by his circumfrance of his chest squared then divide by 400. Ie - (42 x 40 x 40 )/ 400 = 176.4 lbs.. I do it several ways but the last three I've done has been a hispanic style where I don't dip the whole carcass but put it on a table and lay burlap over it then pour scalding water (155-160F) over the burlap. The burlap helps hold the heat and disperce the water better than just pouring it on the skin itself. You don't want the water too hot or it will set the hair. Once you get the knack of doing this removing the hair is just as easy as pulling the skin off your sunburn skin. Essentially you are just putting a first degree burn on it. I use bell scrapers and knives to just pull the hair and first layer of skin off.
Here is the kettle I use along with some pine boughs which help release the hairs.
Once this is finished, I take the burlap and make a chock with it and turn the pig on its back using the burlap as a chock to keep the belly up. I then open the gut and disect the insides putting the entrails in three different buckets. The heart, lungs, kidney and caul fat go in one bucket, the intestines in another, and the waste in a third. (BTW - Most hamburger joints will gladly give you their pickle buckets and these are all food grade and of good quality)
After this, I cut the head off and split the carcass with a saw. I have a meat saw but I've used a circular saw (don't suggest) and a sawzall. Once split, put it in the cooler for a night to chill. This is the perfect time to clean up and prepare your brines and things so the next day things will go smoothly.
Here is the outcome.
And a few of the pork chops.
While its not difficult I cannot stress how important it is to have some clear objectives and have a plan and have everything ready. I'd highly recommend getting the brines prepared prior to the actual cut up day. Preferably have them chilling along with the meat itself. This fills in the void times and makes things go so much smoother and you are less apt to make mistakes as you are not rushed for time.
Good luck.
Oh, and be sure to save the blood for the boudin noir.
And the final prize. A boudin noir and fresh bacon as part of a home grown breakfast.
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- Chuckwagon
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Hi Butterbean!
Thank you for taking the time to share this information. It is VERY informative and you include instructions that folks can follow easily. The formula for estimating the weight is amazing. Excellent photography too. It`s plain to see that you are truly a professional. Again, thanks for sharing with your fellow members.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Thank you for taking the time to share this information. It is VERY informative and you include instructions that folks can follow easily. The formula for estimating the weight is amazing. Excellent photography too. It`s plain to see that you are truly a professional. Again, thanks for sharing with your fellow members.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill!
Thank you Butterbean - incredibly helpful to me. Especially about the plan and no down time.
I think I will use the roofer's propane torch in this case to by-pass all the hot water. Still need some and some stiff brushes to clean up after the 'burn.'
I will come back with my butcher and process plan for your critique if you don't mind.
Also - what do you think? - I have 4 pigs; 2 Berks and 2 Tams. Should I do two and two on separate events? Or should I just take a few days off from work and do all 4?
Like I mentioned - I can probably get up about 4 people each day to help. I would rather just work with my cousin-in-law, but I also have one retired Safeway butcher and another couple who I helped with 2 big pigs up north recently (I was the shoot, stick and skin guy).
Too many choices perhaps!
I am going to re-read and study your post a few more times.
Thanks again - Denny
I think I will use the roofer's propane torch in this case to by-pass all the hot water. Still need some and some stiff brushes to clean up after the 'burn.'
I will come back with my butcher and process plan for your critique if you don't mind.
Also - what do you think? - I have 4 pigs; 2 Berks and 2 Tams. Should I do two and two on separate events? Or should I just take a few days off from work and do all 4?
Like I mentioned - I can probably get up about 4 people each day to help. I would rather just work with my cousin-in-law, but I also have one retired Safeway butcher and another couple who I helped with 2 big pigs up north recently (I was the shoot, stick and skin guy).
Too many choices perhaps!
I am going to re-read and study your post a few more times.
Thanks again - Denny
- Butterbean
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- Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 04:10
- Location: South Georgia
Chuckwagon, I'm far from the professional. Just don't mind getting my hands dirty or making a few mistakes.
Denny, I'll be glad to give you all the help I can. You are lucky to have the retired Safeway butcher as a resource. My good friend and mentor was a retired Publix butcher but he has passed away and unfortunately I was a poor student and didn't ask enough questions before he passed.
It would be great to be able to do all four in a day but I'm sure you know that having help and having quality help are two different things and only you can judge how good your help is going to be. In my case, if I were scalding, I'd be scared to do more than two. Of course I've never torched the hair and if that takes the bottleneck out then that would be very helpful. Once you get the hair off them breaking the carcasses is not difficult or time consuming then you can have them all in the cooler for the next day and you can carve and package them or put the pieces in the brine.
I have a pair of bone loppers but I never use them on pigs. Taking the trotters off can easily be done with a knife and this will aid in protection of bone sour in the hams since the knuckles will be in place. To split the backbone, I think you will defitnitely need a meat saw. Of course if you don't have one of these a SawZAlll will work wonderfully.
The link ssorllih posted gave me a wonderful idea for a scalding tank. I have a syrup kettle that we used to use but the brick base has been undermined by varmits and I need to get a brick mason to mend it but in ssorlilih's link there is the tank and platform. I think I'm going to pick up one of those old propane tanks - maybe 300 gallon - and split it. They are heavy steel and this would make a great scalding tank with the sloped sides.
Denny, I'll be glad to give you all the help I can. You are lucky to have the retired Safeway butcher as a resource. My good friend and mentor was a retired Publix butcher but he has passed away and unfortunately I was a poor student and didn't ask enough questions before he passed.
It would be great to be able to do all four in a day but I'm sure you know that having help and having quality help are two different things and only you can judge how good your help is going to be. In my case, if I were scalding, I'd be scared to do more than two. Of course I've never torched the hair and if that takes the bottleneck out then that would be very helpful. Once you get the hair off them breaking the carcasses is not difficult or time consuming then you can have them all in the cooler for the next day and you can carve and package them or put the pieces in the brine.
I have a pair of bone loppers but I never use them on pigs. Taking the trotters off can easily be done with a knife and this will aid in protection of bone sour in the hams since the knuckles will be in place. To split the backbone, I think you will defitnitely need a meat saw. Of course if you don't have one of these a SawZAlll will work wonderfully.
The link ssorllih posted gave me a wonderful idea for a scalding tank. I have a syrup kettle that we used to use but the brick base has been undermined by varmits and I need to get a brick mason to mend it but in ssorlilih's link there is the tank and platform. I think I'm going to pick up one of those old propane tanks - maybe 300 gallon - and split it. They are heavy steel and this would make a great scalding tank with the sloped sides.
I have seen old cast iron bath tubs used as scalding tanks. Be careful to avoid splashing the hot water on yourselves.
If you use a propane tank you can make two tubs. be sure to purge the tank before you start cutting and fill it with CO2 while you are working.
Every story and text I have read about butchering advises that the anus be excised and tied with a ligiture to prevent spilling any of the contents.
Also most text advise with holding food and water for 16 hours before killing.
If you use a propane tank you can make two tubs. be sure to purge the tank before you start cutting and fill it with CO2 while you are working.
Every story and text I have read about butchering advises that the anus be excised and tied with a ligiture to prevent spilling any of the contents.
Also most text advise with holding food and water for 16 hours before killing.
Ross- tightwad home cook
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