Half a pig questions...

ViksB

The pig in question is likely to be an intensively reared pig. We keep some Glouster Old Spot pigs only 4 and we sell them to cover costs and we have to charge £100 for half a pig, this is jointed and sausages if required.
So for £40 you really do have a complete bargain. Half a lamb is normally that price!!
Hugh Fernley Whittingstall's book called Meat gives you some good ideas of what to do with it all and what to expect.
He also has recipes for trotters and ears and brain.
Some aren't bad either!!

Viks

freebiequennie

hello have been considering buying half a pig for a while as we eat alot of pork and wanted to use somewhere local and have found a farm nearby that does this, they are charging £100 for half a pig weighing 75-80 pounds in weight that includes making up the sauages and jointing the meat. (after 1st dec this goes upto £110-£120).

we can decided on how we have it jointed but he has given me a rough idea.

I wondered if anyone else does this and is it a good way of saving money we have a chest freezer to store it all and thought it was nice to support a local farmer.

thanks

Penelope_Penguin

I'm considering doing this, too :j We have an older thread here - half a pig questions? with some suggestions (I'll merge the threads later).

Penny. x

payless

have been considering buying half a pig

Why not go the whole hog :rotfl:

freebiequennie

thanks penny for merging thought there must be a thread.

would even consider a whole hog but obv with half of one being £100 have to have the cash for a whole one.

we have been looking at harrison farming as they are local. but would love a recommendation for one in the leicestershire area if anyone has used someone.

ravylesley

I regularly buy half a pig and half a lamb for the freezer and find that it saves me loads of money and because I know the butcher he cuts the meat according to my needs.I would have no use for tiny joints of meat as there are six in my household so he gives me generous sized joints so that I have enough for a meal and a good bit leftover for sarnies etc.I also opt for the sausages rather than having the head as tbh I havent time for making brawn or any other meal from it and I think the kids would freak if I started plonking a pigs head in a pan:rotfl:

Lesleyxx

freebiequennie

thanks i too am going to have the sausages as we eat alot of them anyway usually buy organic sausages.

thanks will get husband to ring the farms butcher and order one.

freebiequennie

this is what we will roughly get from half a pig

15lbs leg , roasting joints
15lbs loin chops or joints
7lbs belly sliced or joints
8lbs spare rib chops or joints
7lbs shoulder roasting joints
head hocks and offcuts in sausage (about 10lbs)
joints will be on the bone (boned and rolled 5 pounds extra)

davidlizard

Is there any significant cost saving in buying a whole pig (slaughtered and butchered of course - I like money saving but I know my limits!) over buying individual cuts from supermarkets or other outlets, especially for organic meat?

Looking around the internet, it seems that one can get an "organic" pig for around £250-£300, with the pig weighing around 50kg. Wikipedia suggests that pigs are slaughtered at around 70-100kg, so is the 30kg+ excess bones, guts, head and other less edible parts - i.e. if suppliers give the weight of a butchered pig, are they referring to the amount of meat one gets?

I have compared some cuts to how much they cost in sainsburys, but it is difficult doing this because I am finding it difficult to determine the quantities of each cut one tends to get if one purchases a whole pig.

Does anyone happen to have a rough estimate of how much cheaper (if at all) it is buying meat in this manner over buying it from the supermarket, or know of any websites that could be of help in determining cost benefits?

Thanks in advance.

JayJay14

I recently bought a half pig, I worked out the costs as this,

Weight 32Kilos, this included bones but not the head (butcher gave me some sausages instead)
The total cost was £71, which worked out at about £1 a 1lb.

The butcher jointed it to my requirements - I wanted most of the joints boned - and gave me the bones seperate. I had about a carrier bag full of bones which I roasted off and then made into stock and gave the larger ones to the dog.

I had about 15 joints + chops and tenderloin, kidney etc.

It was not organic but local so I was happy about that.

Hopr that helps.

ETA - I would always go for the butcher option, that way you get to see the meat before it is frozen, you might not get that option buying on line.