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Author Topic: Hanging Pork  (Read 33665 times)

YorkshireSmallholder

  • Joined Jun 2008
  • East Yorkshire
Hanging Pork
« on: July 10, 2008, 01:22:31 pm »
After a hectic few days, we now have 2 fine looking carcasses hanging in the local butchers. All went reasonably smoothly (despite taking 1 1/2 hours to load them into the horse box - sound advice to load them the night before). Liver was collected the same day - some eaten fresh, the rest used to make 'Rays pate' from HFW - highly recommended. On delivery, our butcher immediately asked if i was interested in selling any - which i took as a huge compliment but turned down his offer. We discussed our butchery requirements & he's said he'll have one done for saturday & the other for the following week which brings me on to the subject of this post. How long do you generally hang pork for? Our second pig will have been hanging for nearly two weeks when we collect it which is perhaps a little longer than i would have liked. I have discussed this with others who said two weeks is fine? any thoughts?

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2008, 04:10:44 pm »
Two weeks in a butchers cold store would be fine.  Fantastic meat.  If you sell any, sell the first one and keep the second for yourselves.  Bonne appetite. 

smiffy

  • Joined Jun 2008
    • http://www.northmoor-rarebreeds.com/
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2008, 06:30:03 pm »
Hi Yorkshire smallholder

Sorrry this is not a post to amswer you question but a question or two in return.

I was wondering were in East yorksire you had your pigs slaughtered and the cost. Or local slaughter house shut down a couple of years ago and I am on the look out for another one, recommended is always the best! But I do not want to travel the animals too far!

Kind regards
Smiffy

YorkshireSmallholder

  • Joined Jun 2008
  • East Yorkshire
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2008, 07:40:25 am »
hi smiffy, i take ours to whites in hutton cranswick. A small slaughterhouse/butcher. They're butchered at a local shop but whites offer the complete service for about £33 a pig - killed, butchered and boxed. I can recommend them. Very efficient, friendly service - let me know if you want any more details.

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2008, 09:13:15 am »
That is so CHEAP!

sallyw

  • Joined Jan 2008
  • Buckinghamshire
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2008, 10:53:43 am »
That is good given that it is boxed too.
Ours will be £38 partially butchered and bagged!?.. (oxford)

Mind you I am not convinced they will get there. Had a hilarious time this morning watching my husband try to get them in a steep trailer. At one point he got two in but Oscar was too smart and simply stood on the ramp. Mark tried to lift him up on the ramp to encourage him, all three spooked and ran out, the ramp crashed down on Marks feet! I thought it would end in A&E! After an hour and half he gave up and  he went to work (ironically he is a doctor - heal thyself etc). We have booked them in for next week - yes we will be doing it the night before - hopefully that will be long enough. A learning curve I believe - 1: nil to the pigs :pig: ;D
Sal

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2008, 01:56:20 pm »
You still have time to acclimatise them to the trailer and following a bucket! Ours have always followed the bucket on without incident. Next time will, inevitably, be a complete circus.

smiffy

  • Joined Jun 2008
    • http://www.northmoor-rarebreeds.com/
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2008, 08:39:22 pm »
Hi Yorkshire smallholding

That is very reasonable! Unfortunatly a little far... we keep the pigs between scunthorpe and Doncaster.

But I will bear it in mind if I cant find one closer.

Thanks Smiffy

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2008, 08:52:37 am »
If the ramp is very steep, use a bale of straw, or blocks or whatever appropriate, to level it a bit; pigs will happily climb up onto the ramp that way, its the steep bit they hate.  Try taking them out before feeding, put a small amount on the ramp, once one is on put some further up, etc. etc.  when they are all in, dont shut the ramp but feed them in the trailer.  Repeat as often as possible.  It works for us. 

NB  When we did not have a trailer available we used a van, put bales up as steps, pigs leaped in.  Enjoyed the experience.  Need to take bales with you for exiting though.

robert693

  • Joined Dec 2007
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2008, 07:58:29 pm »
Hi Yorkshire Smallholder,

I am accross the pond in Illinois U.S. and we just had two pigs slaughtered the same as you. Here it cost about £90 a pig. Illinois is a large pig producing region so I don't know if it is because of demand that it costs so much more. We also had some of the meat, such as the hams, smoked so maybe this added to the cost.

Robert Haugland
Dahinda, IL USA

YorkshireSmallholder

  • Joined Jun 2008
  • East Yorkshire
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2008, 01:12:13 pm »
Hi Robert,

that sounds expensive - i think any further processing such as smoking will add to the cost. I've not had the bill from my butcher yet but i'll post the total cost when i get it. Slaughter only for my two at Whites was £54 & they offer butchery for and extra £6 a pig which i think is excellent value. It is good to use your local butcher where possible though - he's sold me some large vac pack bags too & offered a few other bits & bobs and the all important advice.

On a separate note - i'm curing some bacon, (dry cure) & 1 leg (dry cure - bone in) and 1 in a wiltshire type brine cure (bone in). I'm using HFW recipe's but without the salt petre. There seems to be so much conflicting advice about curing so i hope i'm doing it right - according to HFW i should leave the legs to cure for 35 - 40 days but my butcher has adised me to leave the dry cured leg for only two weeks bafore hanging  ???. I think (unless anyone has any other suggestions) i'll dry cure the leg for 2-3 weeks & leave the leg in the brine for 30-40 days & see what happens - does this sound OK?

pigsatlesrues

  • Joined Oct 2008
  • Normandy, France
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2008, 09:11:46 pm »
On the same theme - John is building me a cold room for processing and hanging our pork.  What is the ideal temperature for hanging not only the carcusses but the sausages etc as well?

Kate  :pig:
Bonjour et avoir un bon jour !

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2008, 06:27:23 am »
Kate 4 deg. C.

Y.S.H  I think your butcher is right, HFW recipes tend to be extremely salty.  Personally for the leg in brine would not leave longer than 30 days.  Dont forget to keep piercing the leg to allow the brine to get in.  (My butcher's advice).  Whatever you do, the beauty is you can always change the recipe next time.  Dont forget to write down every stage so that you can make changes as necessary next time.  HM

YorkshireSmallholder

  • Joined Jun 2008
  • East Yorkshire
Re: Hanging Pork
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2008, 01:10:02 pm »
Thanks HM - sound advice. I've been injecting some of the brine close to the bone with a syringe so hopefully this should help.

Kate - i'd agree with HM about the cold store temp - anything between 1-5 deg C. The idea is to allow lactic acid to break down & tenderise the meat whilst inhibiting the growth of bacteria which will spoil it.

 

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