[Azzdodd]

Last few times I've taken my pigs I've just had them cut standard I.e shoulder leg chops & belly just wondered if there was anything else I could do to get something doffrent? I've got 2 going 6th march my abitior charges £32 to kill & cut into pork so I fancy something doffrent

[kja]

talk to your butcher the ones around here are a standard traditional cut as a normal package. if you want boned and rolled or seam cutting that usually incures extra costs.

[Azzdodd]

They bone & roll mine that's how I get them

[hughesy]

Speak to the butcher give him some ideas about what you might like to try. The options are pretty varied.

[kja]

loin steak
spare ribs
leg steaks
diced
minced
collar steak
loin rack
belly slices
rolled belly

of course you could try 1/2 pig for bacon & gammons

pork & apple burgers
sausages

i would go and talk it through with your butcher.

[MAK]

I know this comes up every now and then and that others will list what they get back from their butcher and how much is charged to cut, make sausages,bacon and ham. Expensive ! Others on TAS have raised doubt that they do not get back all the meat from their animal or may get back bits of another pig.

If the meat is for you and family and you have a few days to spare then get the pigs halved and take them home!!
You have time to buy a saw, sharpen some knives and get a couple of good grade plastic buckets for trimmings and fat. Order a meat mincer/stuffer for the price a butcher would charge you to cut, make sausages etc . Order your bacon and ham cures and sausage seasoning from Weschenfelders.
You will transform the value of your pigs dramatically, be amazed at just how many cuts, sliced or diced meat you will have and of course the pleasure of curing your own ham and bacon and have some fun with the sausages. Others on TAS gave me lots of help with some of the processing techniques so call out if you need re-assurance or advice - I am sure others will help.
The bottom line is that burchering a pig, making bacon etc is not rocket science.

I had absolutely no experience of butchering and we just followed instructions to make bacon, ham and various types of sausages and salami. We have done 4 pigs now and I modify our cutting list based on what we prefer to eat ( few joints these days but as much ham,gammon and bacon as we can process).
All you need is the time,a table and the items listed above.

Give it a go ! You will be so chuffed and proud of all you achieve and of course you will only get better and be able to try new things in the future. Good luck!
Martin

[Wouldbesmallholder]

Couldn't agree more with MAK, we now try to buy all our meat unbutchered, and with a little know how, quite a few youtube videos, a good set of knives and a hacksaw you can hugely increase the quantity of meat you get (we will literally only throw away the bones of a pig and then only once we've made a good quantity of stock!). Admittedly joints aren't as pretty as they may be from the butchers but that is half the satisfaction. Of course if you have the time/means/dedication you can always try a whole parma ham - the holy grail as far as I'm concerned.

Attempting a lamb for the first time in a couple of weeks, unfortunately I don't have the freezer space for a side of beef

[MAK]

I reckon you can recover the investment in a butchers saw and knives, hooks and buckets, plastic containers for salting bacon etc on the first pig. The cost of good slicer ( ham and bacon cut well for freezing) and the cost of a micer will also pay for themselves in no time. 
Heh - Wouldbesmallholder -Last month I butchered 2 pigs, 9 rabbits and 2 ducks and what with the bacon, hams and sausages my OH was not too impressed today when I suggested camping on the edge of the woods and waiting for the 4 deer that I have seen 3 times in 2 days. Yet to use my crossbow !!

[Hassle]

MAK is totally right on the do it yourself, you feel really proud and the achievement will be great even though you will feel like you are staring in the generation game of course you'll need about a day for a pig.  Then a few evening as sausages dry, meat cures etc.

[ppd]

The first time for me I had the butcher do it all apart from bacon which I did myself and I have to say was fab!!- but this time I am using my local butcher and hope to go and watch the cutting for the future. I have also just bought a grinder/sausage 'stuffer', so will be trying out a bit more this time
On cuts - I asked for some belly whole and some sliced and due to the deliciousness of the streaky bacon I will def have belly just to cure next time! There is just so much lovely things you can do with pork and the advice on here makes you want to do it yourself
 

[Azzdodd]

Phoned the butcher he is gonna bone the belly pork out for me & I'm gonna attempt bacon :-D but I'm not sure where to hang it up after salting? My garden shed I was thinking but knowing my luck I proberly get all the stray cats getting it!!

[ppd]

Azzdodd
I just hung mine in a pillow case from the roof in the wood shed for a couple of days and it was fine.
Also when you have cured it cut a wee bit off and cook it before hanging, as I found mine too salty. I soaked it, changing the water a few times, for a couple of hours until I felt it had the right level of saltieness.
Hungry now

[MAK]

Hope you enjoy the bacon - great start.
There are no bones in the belly but towards the chest there may be a bit of the sternum and some of the cartlidge that the ribs are attached to. Easy to remove.
For bacon we bought a dry salt cure and flat plastic boxes that we popped in the fridge, turning the meat and rubbing in the cure every day. Once cured, rinsed and dried we then put in the freezer for an hour or so before cutting on a slicer then freeze. So no hanging outside. Plan to smoke some next time and are experimenting with duck breasts right now.
We do hang our chirizo and saucisson to dry and these are in a tent made of curtain nets just in case we have any flies.
Wet cure a boned leg in a large bag within a camping fridge ( have to keep the temperature down).   
 

[jellybean]

why not butcher you own pig, guaranteed to get all that you want as you have done it.  Not that hard either.