The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Kitchen Cottage on August 19, 2013, 07:26:16 am
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After a summer on slimmer pickings than usual, Charlotte my essexSaddlebackis orf to slaughter.... she is about 6 and was put with a sterile boar so didn't get in pig.....
Through the power of google, I came up with a river cottage thread extolling the meaty lovliness of sow meat.... on hear my recollection is she's good for saw sages only....
My butcher said the fat on her will be horrible and greasy like cellulite and she is fit for sausages only....
I am thinking of keeping a bit to 'ave a go at charcuterie..... but that she's no good for bacon so will have a TON of sausages!
Being an essexSaddleback on a diet, she should be well within the abattoir size policy, she isn't a big pig (though she has been a lovely Mum) so I will get the pig tape out... my guess is 140kg live weight
Any thoughts on what else I can do with poor Charlotte who served so well.... and now will be served?
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We have a similar situation here. A sow who's had a litter but can't get in pig again for some reason. My plan is sausages. Maybe use the loins for bacon if it looks good enough. The problem is the sheer amount of meat that will arrive all in one go. I think I'll bone it all out and cut into smallish pieces and freeze in sausage batch amounts. I'd also check your estimate of her weight our saddlebacks are about that weight at 12 months or so and the big girls are 200-250kg.
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We sent an older pig last winter and all made into sausages except loins which we had done as bacon. It was delicious but had a 2" fat rind on it ;D so there was more fat thn lean to quote the nursery rhyme.
Mandy :pig:
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Plenty of fat is no bad thing if you're making sausages. Two inches to trim off a pork chop is a different matter.
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Render the excess fat and make soap!! (Have the extractor fan on while rendering though...)