The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: bucketman on April 22, 2015, 03:43:51 pm
-
The pig's are doing fine I think there great but am not giving them names. But anyway. When the time comes and it will. The wife would like ago at butchering one her self. So has any one got a list of knives saws or other tools she may need. She would also like to try her hand at curing and sausage making any one know of good books to read up on.
Would add here the one she butchers her self we would just ask for it to come back in 2 halves the other fully done by the butcher. Do you think this would be ok. Planning ahead I know but dont want to mess things up when the time comes.
-
I remember this from my childhood. Used to find bits of bone and stuff all over the kitchen for days.
However, no reason why you shouldn't but need sharp tools.
-
I use to butcher ours with a good bone saw and a butchers knife - preferably a boning knife also. forget domestic ones as they just snap. its easy as long as you don't expect pretty looking chops.
-
You don't need much equipment really, a boning knife and a longer blade for steaking, plus a saw will get you through it. I would definitely advise investing in a chain mail glove. Once you've sliced yourself you'll know why.
-
Butchering half a pig - allow a full day, send kids away, get someone else to do lunch, expect to start at 6am and finish at midnight !
and watch
http://www.qmscotland.co.uk/cutting-guide (http://www.qmscotland.co.uk/cutting-guide)
Good luck !
-
Thanks for the replies. Found a link to loads of good vids on here. The OH plans to do a whole pig and would also like to try some Bacon and a Ham. She it quiet looking forward to it
-
We have done this and its hard work. OH did the boning etc while I did the packing and freezing. We did not make sausages but minced and froze for pies and sausage rolls. He did some bacon in salt which worked well enough. Everything has to be kept very clean and it does take a whole day so be prepared.
-
:wave:
I have usually done one pig of each batch I have taken in. I do really enjoy it and have learned a few things which may be of use...
You can get the pig back in halves or in primals (usually a half pig into three pieces) which are easier to handle - my abattoir/butcher doesn't mind which I ask for.
Knives - other posters are right - a bone saw, big steak knife and then a couple of boning knives. I really like Victorinox ones which are not terribly expensive and provided you have a sharpening steel they're great. Websites like knives.co.uk have good ranges.
Gloves are also a good plan to stop cutting but also allow you to grip as you cut.
Biggest challenge and most dull element of the whole thing I find is the packing and labelling. I bought a little vacuum packer from weschenfelder which helps but still takes longer than I ever convince myself is possible.
You need a big table / worktop to lay out half a pig and a lot of space to pile things up as you cut. I also have several clean washing up bowls into which I throw ribs, waste bits of skin/bone and then trim for sausages. I'm lucky and have access to an old unit with big butchery blocks. If you're doing it in a regular kitchen then it may be hard to handle / cut very large pieces of meat so would go for primals rather than half pigs. This still allows you to do joints or bacon etc.
Only other consideration which springs to mind is when you're doing it. If it's warm, then keeping the meat cool when you're cutting and processing a lot of meat is tricky.
Hope that helps
Martha
-
Agree with MarthaR - the packaging and labelling takes just as much time as the butchery, and vital to be well prepared in advance with all sorts and sizes of plastic bags in addition to the actual vac pack bags which are a very thick plastic and usually specific to different vac pack machines. You need a good weighing machine, writing materials which you can stop from getting wet, paper/real towels, masses of flat surface to work on, temporary plastic containers ideally with lids, and of course, ample fridge and freezer space to store the pre and post butchered bits. Also decide whether you are going to flash freeze at once, or put in fridge then freeze, by which time all the cuts will be oozing blood which makes packaging even more messy. You also need to package up and dispose of a lot of waste which takes up yet more space and an ultimate destination. I reckon you need a whole second person doing all this side of things while the other person is butchering.
-
And it's murder on your back!!
-
Just to add, I do get a real fulfilment out of doing it bucketman. I started off wanting to complete the cycle after rearing the pigs and sending them off. Now I do it because I genuinely enjoy it. Yes, you need to be prepared and have some space and kit, but you're already thinking about that so it's all very doable.
I would definitely give it a go, even if you do half a pig to start with. Eating my first bacon was one of my 'do a little proud of myself' dancing moments (which thankfully no one witnessed).
Martha
-
OK, silly question. How do you get the carcass, from the abattoir back to your house in a hygienic way?
Have thought about if I did the butchery, it wouldn't fit in my car unless cut into smaller portions.
-
Hi, I bought a set of knives from amazon last year
http://www.amazon.co.uk/BUTCHERS-KNIFE-DOLOMITEN-INOX-GERMANY/dp/B00300ZT0I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1429885477&sr=8-2&keywords=butchers+knives+set (http://www.amazon.co.uk/BUTCHERS-KNIFE-DOLOMITEN-INOX-GERMANY/dp/B00300ZT0I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1429885477&sr=8-2&keywords=butchers+knives+set)
These were brilliant and enabled me and a friend to cut up 8 pigs in a day, despite being total amateurs with a one day course between us!
-
We home kill and butcher pigs and lambs on occasion and the butchering takes no time unless you make sausages when it might take until the end of time.
I use the kitchen knives (sharp) chopper (not as big as I would like :innocent:) and wood saw (cleaned). It may lack finesse but its cheap, simple, I can cut it as I want it and don't have to rely on other people.
-
I can't see why cutting half a pig would take all day? An afternoon maybe? Once you've done one or two the basic cutting can be very quick and even making sausages doesn't take long if you're organised.
-
Yes half a pig - half a day. ensure that it comes back well chilled and then crack on. Buckets for fat and trimmings plus shoulder meat should be chilled down before you start on the sausages ( next day). If you are making ham then have the brine chilled dowm ( we put a bin bag in a camping fridge and keep it at about 3 degrees). I would suggest the you bone the leg for a ham.
If you get the blood back then use belly fat for the black puddings (make ASA) and use the belly fat and meat with the liver to make pate .
Oh - if you double grind the meat for sausages then pop the meat and fat in the freezer before grinding each time as the grinding generates heat and a poor texture. We leave sausages overnight to meld flavours before freezing.
Enjoy !!!
-
I agree with the half a pig = about half a day including jointing, putting bacon into cure and hams into brine...
Caroline1- before I had a pick up truck and was transporting in a car, I used brand new tarpaulin or have also used thick (new) plastic sheeting. If you're worried about space but want to do some home butchery ask them to cut each half into primals which will be fine in a car with seats pushed flat. They may even put the primals into a large plastic bag for you if you ask them.
MarthaR