[oink]

I'm taking my pigs to the butchers next Thursday, two for me and one for a friends freezer.  We both want a mixture of sausages, bacon, joints and chops, plus I'd quite like some rack of ribs and I was considering curing a ham.

Basically, I was wondering if this will work or will having too much of one cut influence the others (eg chops impacts on bacon etc.).

In your expert opinions what should I ask the butcher for?

Cheers

[MR C CHICKS]

We are also at the same stage you are at, will be interesting to see what responses you get as this is our first time taking pigs to abattoir and are undecided as to what ask for . We have 6 gos.

[oaklandspigs]

You can cut a pig a myriad of ways but essentially you can get

Legs - joints or cure into hams
Shoulder - joints, ham or take into sausages
Belly - steaky bacon or belly joints
Back - back bacon or chops
Rest - chump joints, neck joints, sausages or lots of other possibilities.

Therefore If you take a leg to ham, clearly you cannot have it also as a joint etc.

Talk to your butcher now about what you want and options.

Our book covers a couple of basic cuts and what you can get from a pig.

[Andrew]

I have posted a couple of links that I hope you will find useful. I was abutcher for over 20 years so if you have any other queries don't hesitate to ask.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Butcher-a-Pig-Diagram
http://www.btinternet.com/~happydudevir/butchering.html

[WinslowPorker]

Hiya,
My pigs are of next week and i have known my butcher for years so have been picking his brains constantly, but what we have agreed is the all the major joints will be boned & rolled so thats your shoulder, leg & Spare rib, then a big selection of chops and a whole belly, this is for the boxes which i am selling.
For my personal pig we are doing the same, although one of the legs is going of as gammon and one of the belly joints is going of as a dry cure bacon.
on both pigs all of the trimmings are going as sausages and the butcher has said he would expect about 20lb of the carcass!!
in two weeks time when i collect the freezer ready boxes i will let you know exactly how i did

[Anke]

HFW - Rivercottage book, all you need really! His salami recipes are great, we have made them now for two years in a row and no failure. Also air dried hams, but we have found that we are not so fond of bacon really, so don't cure so much now.

[Hilarysmum]

I found his bacon far too salty.  The rest of the book is almost a bible in our family now.

[oink]

Cheers everyone, I've just dropped them off.

2 smallest pigs;

Head, hock, belly - Sausages
Shoulder + legs boned and rolled for 2lb joints
plenty of chops

1 largest pig;

Head, hock - sausages
Belly - spare ribs
Legs - gammon steaks
Loin - back bacon
Shoulder - 2lb joints

Needless to say my largest pig is my experimental pig but I love the sound of gammon steaks and bacon.  I was always under the impression that I'd need a MASSIVE pig for bacon, gammon etc. but apparently I was mistaken...I'll let you know

I'm also planning to do my own curing next year ( i said that this year!  ) ) so it looks like I'll be investing in that book.  I tried salami with his recipe on the internet a couple of months ago but it wasn't too good.  I'm pretty sure it's because I left it in the conservatory and it got too hot but i was wondering if it could have been because the meat had come out of the freezer.  I think I remember hearing that freezing changes the structure of the meat and can affect the curing process.  Anyone know if this is true or just my rubbish memory playing tricks on me?

[mmm]

I uusally cure my legs , loin & bellypork. Its so easy.

Ive a friend whos a butcher & I get the cure from them. Either use the legs for gamon or ham joints. Loin makes fab bacon chops or back bacon. Belly I make bacon or cut into strips

[Hilarysmum]

Loads of our stuff is frozen before curing no problem.  The salami may have been because it was too warm and not enough through draught.  That is just my opinion!!! 

[Anke]

WE have so far not done any curing with previously frozen meat. We allways hang the fresh salamis for about 5 days in the house to get the curing going, then into the garage, which is usually open during the day. But all this is done in October, and salamis are eaten through the winter, only two little ones left.... (and this year's piggies are only 12 weeks old...)

So I would think it was too warm for your salamis...