Hog Processing Grandpas Way

[skyhightree1]

I have been thinking about solely relying on no store bought meats and wondered does anyone in here still process Hogs the way most of our Gpa's use to. Meaning group of men get together and process the hogs and the meat put into smoke houses and smoked and hams salted until ready to be used and some meat canned. I miss those days that meat was good. I may work on doing that this upcoming fall.

 

[M5farm]

I call dibs on the chitlins and liver and lites.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Basic Butchering of Livestock and Game. By John Mettler Jr is a good book to start with. Gives some basic processing, and not a bunch on smoking, and curing, but there is some. Maybe you could find a old German or Amish man that could give you some pointers.

 

[M5farm]

get some of the FOXFIRE books. I have several and they are excellent for instruction in primitive living.

http://www.amazon.com/Foxfire-Book-Dres ... 0385073534

 

[cow pollinater]

Basic Butchering of Livestock and Game. By John Mettler Jr is a good book to start with. Gives some basic processing, and not a bunch on smoking, and curing, but there is some. Maybe you could find a old German or Amish man that could give you some pointers.

X2 I have a buddy that was a butcher for about ten years that gave me that book and said if I got stuck doing it myself that was the best advice he could give me.

 

[M5farm]

Basic Butchering of Livestock and Game. By John Mettler Jr is a good book to start with. Gives some basic processing, and not a bunch on smoking, and curing, but there is some. Maybe you could find a old German or Amish man that could give you some pointers.

X2 I have a buddy that was a butcher for about ten years that gave me that book and said if I got stuck doing it myself that was the best advice he could give me.

Saw this book at tractor supply tonight 16.95

 

[kenny thomas]

Still done here just not nearly as often. I haven't done it in a few years.

 

[Jogeephus]

I think its a worthy venture. I do it. Haven't bought meat in years - except for chicken.

 

[skyhightree1]

Thanks m5 you can come get all of those you want lol no chitlins and liver or whatever for me lol Thanks im gonna go see if I can order or find those books. I truly miss those meats and the way they tasted and how much fresher they tasted. Jo you sure you don't want to move to va so I can come over and eat everyday I can give you some land lol i found this video on youtube about the same thing we are discussing. It brought back some fond memories.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6UkXhHUTfM

 

[Jogeephus]

Interesting film. Thanks. Looked to me that they had the water too hot from how the hair was coming off. If the water is too hot the hair will set and you got a mess on your hands.

Here is a jury rigged scald pot that works pretty good.

Hair comes right off when the water is right.

Pork chops cut to the thickness God meant them to be cut to.

Some stuff made with the trimmings and "waste".

Bring on the zombies. We are ready.

 

[dun]

Friend of mine used to butcher a couple of hogs every week-end, he set up a pivoting tetter-totter kind of deal. Put the pic on one end and push down on the other and turn it over the pot and lower it in the scald tank. When it was time push down on the end and swing the pig out to scrape it.

 

[Jogeephus]

Something like that would be helpful in the bathtub setup cause they are pretty heavy and its dead weight. I have an actual scald pot that we inherited but I need to brick up a foundation for it. This pot has sloping sides and is much easier to manipulate the hog in. I've also seen people use barrels with a teeter totter and you just tie the hog to one end and dip it straight into the barrel. Never used one but it looked like a good method.

 

[dun]

His scald tank was about 8 foot long and 3 foot wide and the same deep. He started a fire under it on friday nights. He had a farm that sold live animals to folks to butcher then they butchered them at his place. Theonly one that really bothered me was some filipinos that bought a little goat, poured whiskey down it's throat till it was dam near unconsious then threw it in a big fire live. He ran them off and they never came back

 

[Jogeephus]

I'd have run them off too. That just ain't right.

 

[dun]

I'd have run them off too. That just ain't right.

Not only is that cruel but it's a waste of whiskey, even CHEAP whiskey.

 

[Ouachita]

I'd have run them off too. That just ain't right.

Not only is that cruel but it's a waste of whiskey, even CHEAP whiskey.

:lol2: :clap:

 

[skyhightree1]

Jo you truly are a food artist and inspire me to only process my own meat but I couldn't cut it up like you have yours . I would have to take it to a butcher and have them do that that was some good looking meat. That goat thing they did is just weird to me.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

We always just heated the water in wash kettle. Use a pan or a bucket to pour the scalding water or the hog. You could check a small spot to see if your water was right. Didn't have the whole hog with set hair if was to hot like you would in one of them bathtubs.

 

[Jogeephus]

We always just heated the water in wash kettle. Use a pan or a bucket to pour the scalding water or the hog. You could check a small spot to see if your water was right. Didn't have the whole hog with set hair if was to hot like you would in one of them bathtubs.

I've done it that way too and it works great. What you can also do is lay beach towells over the carcass and pour the water on this and it will allow the water and heat to stay on the hog longer.

Sky, you can cut it up like that with only a knife and a hand meat saw. Key it getting it chilled well before slicing it. Oh, and you can also do it with a skhil saw but I wouldn't suggest that cause its sortof messy. :lol2:

 

[Ouachita]

There definately is an optimum temperature for cutting meat. I can't stand to watch somebody try to immediately work up a deer, or anything else. What a mess. Might as well use that skillsaw, or a chainsaw