Author Topic: Help please (Read 13682 times)

chickens · « **Reply #15 on:** May 21, 2008, 05:16:01 pm »

Thank you all ever so much.

I have cancelled the man - no Mr Ree it is not the same one fortunately - we too opened a bottle - SantÃ©

They are going to the abbattoir tomorrow and a friend is lending us her trailor but we have to now find someone to help us butcher them so am frantically looking around for someone.

Husband very stressed now .....

rustyme · « **Reply #16 on:** May 21, 2008, 05:40:00 pm »

http://www.btinternet.com/~happydudevir/butchering.html
http://members.shaw.ca/masterbutcher/meat_cutting_tutorial/basic_cuts.html

Hello Chickens,
the above links should be of some use to you ( I hope anyway!!). Glad you got it sorted in the end ,what a horrible time you must have had. Still onwards and upwards as they say ...good luck with the butchery. Hope the links help a bit .......

cheers

Russ

MrRee · « **Reply #17 on:** May 21, 2008, 06:10:00 pm »

Want me to post down the Pig in a Day dvd? Or I can take it to the Epona Open Day thingy at the weekend if you're going? I've got some good knives here and a big chopper,only lacking a hacksaw if that helps.

chickens · « **Reply #18 on:** May 21, 2008, 06:37:07 pm »

Thank you ever so much everyone you are all so very kind. The two sites look great and very clear but also please could you send me down the dvd Mr Ree as that would be great and if you don't mind could we borrow your knives etc as we don't think ours are up to it. We are coming up to St Hilaire tomorrow and on Saturday if that is possible.

We feel very relieved now that they are going to have a better ending - thank you all for all your support.

chickens · « **Reply #19 on:** May 21, 2008, 06:38:04 pm »

Me again - whats the epona open day thing at the weekend please?

carole · « **Reply #20 on:** May 21, 2008, 07:33:05 pm »

Chickens,
Look on Market Place, its a charity day- pigsatlesrues is promoting it.

If you can make it will see you there

Carole

chickens · « **Reply #21 on:** May 21, 2008, 07:40:10 pm »

Thanks Carole will try to go - funnily enough I found it just after I posted

chickens · « **Reply #22 on:** May 23, 2008, 12:27:05 pm »

Just to let you know that we took the pigs to the abattoir yesterday, it was easy and stress free for them and for us. We are now looking forward to some bacon.

Thanks again

pigsatlesrues · « **Reply #23 on:** May 23, 2008, 02:49:58 pm »

Good Job! You will enjoy it all the more now.

Kate

nellie · « **Reply #24 on:** May 23, 2008, 08:09:14 pm »

Hi Chickens

so pleased that you went to the abbatoir

It is a fallacy that a home kill is less stressful for the animals

I Know of home kills were things have gone horribly wrong - its best to leave these things to the professionals!

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #25 on:** May 24, 2008, 02:53:15 pm »

and it will be the best bacon you have ever tasted....

chickens · « **Reply #26 on:** May 24, 2008, 03:46:48 pm »

Hope so. Went out and bought everything I thought I needed to make up cures - been studying furiously Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - the river cottage cookbook and the meat book, looking at recipes on pigs in france site and on here and from a friend who (luckily for me is a mind full of information) - just hope I have brought enough of everything!!
Wanted to try the cider cure but Hugh states you have to use 4 litres of pressed apple juice and I think that will make it too expensive.

I bought 10 kilos of coarse salt, 1.5 kilos of molasses, cane sugar, semi-coarse pepper, juniper berries, chives, garlic, onions, red onions, nutmeg, parsley, I couldnt get dry mustard or mace. And the trouble is I don't know how much meat I am going to get back we have tried to work it out and think around 180 kilos but I have no idea what to expect from that!

This is one huge rapid learning curve - hopefully I will get there. I just wanted to make a load of bacon for the kids as they miss that, some gammon steaks, chops, roast pork, pork pies and sausages.

Once again thank you all for your advice and help.

nellie · « **Reply #27 on:** May 24, 2008, 10:07:25 pm »

hi chickens

the cider cure works fine with ordinary apple juice - and is definitely worth doing - delicious

We do a brine cure bacon - its fantastic- see www.pigsinfrance.com there is a recipe listed there that is very easy

if you find you have too much meat to deal with freeze in 1/2 kilo quantities to process later

for example I mince fatty pork with all the offal as a base for faggots or pate- freeze it and then use it when I have the time

can also recommend salamis- very easy & very tasty a la Hugh F W

If you are feeling very brave pate Ã la tete is very goog- ooh I'm feeling hubgry again

Have fun