What to do with a whole pig?

hotcookie101

Pants-I was writing a big long reply and it disappeared Grr to supersensitive touch pad that does bad things when typing!

Anyway I was saying I agree-I would much prefer to know where my pig came from and I would LOVE to have enough space to keep my own-acorn field fed pig just sounds FAB. Lucky you I'm sure she will be very tasty and has had a great life!
I am currently trying to make room in my freezer for a half pig, as I love pork, and am very particular over its welfare and provenance

I would try and get a mix between roasting and quick cook bits like chops and fillets, maybe get a bit of leg diced up to use for stews/currys/things (brain not quite up to descriptions at moment!)
I love spare rib chops, moister than loin chops for quick griddling, and a whole loin roast looks SO impressive when it comes out of the oven with all its crackling. I also really want to make porchetta, which I think uses a boned shoulder-great meal for a special occasion (christmas maybe?)
I would have difficulty making decisions to be honest-I love roast belly pork, but would also like to try making my own bacon and sausages....

I'm sure you probably have it, but I can highly recommend river cottage Meat-its has great descriptions of joints and ways of cooking...

Enjoy her! She has had a fab life and fulfilled her purpose, I would love to be able to do that..
(ETA-I mean I would love to keep pigs, not fulfil my purpose by being eaten )

timmmers

hotcookie101 wrote: »

Pants-I was writing a big long reply and it disappeared Grr to supersensitive touch pad that does bad things when typing!

Anyway I was saying I agree-I would much prefer to know where my pig came from and I would LOVE to have enough space to keep my own-acorn field fed pig just sounds FAB. Lucky you I'm sure she will be very tasty and has had a great life!
I am currently trying to make room in my freezer for a half pig, as I love pork, and am very particular over its welfare and provenance

I would try and get a mix between roasting and quick cook bits like chops and fillets, maybe get a bit of leg diced up to use for stews/currys/things (brain not quite up to descriptions at moment!)
I love spare rib chops, moister than loin chops for quick griddling, and a whole loin roast looks SO impressive when it comes out of the oven with all its crackling. I also really want to make porchetta, which I think uses a boned shoulder-great meal for a special occasion (christmas maybe?)
I would have difficulty making decisions to be honest-I love roast belly pork, but would also like to try making my own bacon and sausages....

I'm sure you probably have it, but I can highly recommend river cottage Meat-its has great descriptions of joints and ways of cooking...

Enjoy her! She has had a fab life and fulfilled her purpose, I would love to be able to do that..

Off topic, but I do that too...and it's really irritating. I got Lazarus, a Firefix addon to help with forms...and if you right click a form like the forum one I was happy to find it has a refil text option too :T ..so if you !!!! up and lose those words ..one click and they are all back again.

t

jinky67

I will try and give you a serious answer:D

Why not pop into your local butcher and ask him /her?
The guys at the abbatoir should also be able to advise you :A

floss2

Wish we had a freezer & space for even half a pig

Belly - great for slow roasting over whole apples & onions, or casseroling with tomato soup or passata & sage
Tenderloin - fab baked with fresh sage & onions in foil & finished on the BBQ
Chops - lovely grilled or baked then topped with apple sauce & a slice of crumbly cheese & browned under the grill
Leg - traditional roasting joint
Loin - another trad. roasting joint
Shoulder - good for your sausages?
Hocks - wonderful either slow cooked or slow roasted

What about bacon? Are you planning to cure any at all, or make a ham or gammon joint? And if you do, what about air drying some, to wafer slice as a Parma-type ham?

I envy you - PM me for my address to send any samples!

DonnaP

Hi

I will be interested to see if anyone else has done this as I am buying 1/2 a pig in the new year and don't know what to ask for.

I recently had 1/2 a lamb and wished I'd asked for less joints and more meat off the bone for stews etc.

Are you having the head for making brawn or will they turn those into sausages? My Gran used to make the most fantastic brawn. I can also remember my Dad eating brains on toast for tea on a Sunday night (or trotters). Not that I fancy either!

Donna

MrsBartolozzi

I think the first thing Hugh from River Cottage did was collect the blood from the abatoir on the day of slaughter to make various black puddings.
If you have access to a copy of the River Cottage Cook Book (and I imagine the Meat one would have lots more ideas) there's all sorts of ideas for using up the whole pig.
Other parts to ask for on the day of slaughter are: liver, spleen, heart, lights?, stomach. (the kidneys will stay with the carcass). These soft offals need using within 72 hours, they don't freeze well raw.
Various things you can make which will keep for a while - salamis, cured hams, pate.

(all from River cottage cookbook)

sleepless_saver

I think Hugh Furry Whittingstall's Meat book has good info on how to get a pig jointed (my copy has vanished so can't check, sorry)

Even if you don't get the pig head, make sure you get the cheeks. You can braise them slowly, or do as I did and cure them to make guanciale which makes a brilliant pasta dish (pasta all'amatriciana). Because they're quite small it's less scary than curing something large if you've not done it before.

ifonlyitwaseasier

are you getting the head? i know weezl had some fun prepping and cooking one.

misskool

Don't forget the ribs!! sticky bbq (or grilled) ribs

You can roast the ears (very crispy). You can also eat the intestine (small and large) but I'm not sure how to clean them except that you have to strip the membrane from the inside. Maybe you're not going that far with your pig though.

Leg for lovely chops, then the bone for stock to make rich stews. Maybe the other leg for a lovely ham??

I'd love to have my own pig to use up

voiceofreason

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

I know you're not having a go :A It's just that I asked a serious Old Style question, and the thread if filling up with chat that doesn't answer it



No, sorry, don't know what you mean You're happy to eat meat, but not able to connect that with what was a living, breathing animal

Penny. x

Indeed.

Have you considered getting piggy broken down into sides or even primals and bringing that back yourself for butchering at home? That way you'll be able to cut it yourself to the size and style you need, and as you'll be right there, chopping, slicing and trimming, you'll get pretty much no waste at all.

Shouldn't need much more than a big-sized table, some sharp knives and a basic butchery guide (which you may well be able to access free online), and you're done