When it ’s time to reap and butcher our homestead - raised pig , we want to know how to get the most out of a pig carcass . After all our work raising them , there should be no waste to address of , right-hand ? And pigs are especially versatile meat fauna . As the old expression goes , there ’s a use for “ everything but the squeal . ”
But finding how all those percentage are most useful onyourfarm is n’t just a matter of looking up traditional or especially imaginative charcuterie recipes .
What if your folk just is n’t uncoerced to eat rake pudding ? Suppose paté does n’t appeal to you ? Or the cerebration of a roast Sus scrofa ’s caput on the dinner party table does n’t make you need to give up your Christmas bomb ?
Not to vex . “ There are lots of way to pare a computed axial tomography , ” as Shawn ’s grandfather used to say . And there are many ways to honor and observe a whole slob carcass without making yourself eat grilled kidneys .
Read more : Learn the how s , why s and when s of pastured pigs .
Breaking It Down
slaughter days are always celebratory on our farm . There ’s a lot of work take . The sheer volume can be restrain . But this daylight means the freezer and smoke house will once again be tamp with the necessary materials for many of our favorite meals :
Yes , we love to see the fruits of our healthy farm ecosystem harvested and stored for feed our family .
Most of the carcase break - down is quotidian — hams and shoulder , bellies and chops , hock and all the various roasts . Some electric organ meats may lay a challenge , though .
And what about all those bones and the really bony parts , like the head?This is where we have to start making decisions .
Your first step should in all likelihood be inquiry . There are some fantabulous guide out there for making responsible and delicious enjoyment of every last scrap of whatever you butcher . Our personal favorites are :
When we have a head about any of our own practices , these are the origin we employ . But there is alotof meat cure selective information usable out there these days . We encourage you to see around .
take more : you may harvest pigs at any age and stage for maximal herd efficiency .
Keeping It on the Farm
In the actual universe of our farms and homesteads , real appetites , food preference and chores take to balance with honor for the pig carcase we reap and butcher . When it ’s time to move on to the next homestead occupation , here are some good fallbacks for completing a respectful crop , get laid you have used every last fighting of your sloven :
Harvesting your own pig at home is one more elbow room to keep resources on the farm . The price of the botcher , meat itself and all the other bit and scraps ( which would be misplace to us if we sent our pig to the abbatoir ) can all stay at home and bless the family , the plants and animals , and the soil .
So focalize up your beneficial knives and get ready to butcher your pig meat . You will find that you do , indeed , use “ everything but the squeal . ”
