[Cobra]

Ok loaded question here.  

Q1/  Looking ahead at my future porkers. When a pig goes to be butchered people always say just let them know how you want it etc. My question is, what options are available to me in general i.e. joints etc. The butcher here is happy to make sausages if he can have the head   Sound like a plan  

Q2/  I'm happy to have a bash at making bacon & sausages my self, is a vacuum sealer a good purchase and helpful aid or not really worth the effort and expense?

Thanks everyone and hope your having a good weekend.  

[Sudanpan]

We had 4 pigs killed earlier this month.
The first 2:
boned out shoulder joints (2kg)
Chops in 2's
Belly strips (in 4's)
Boned out leg joints (2kg)

Second 2:
bone in shoulder joints (3kg)
chops
Loin Rack
Rolled belly joint
Spare rib strip
bone in leg joints (3kg)

Trimmings and head meat were made into sausages for us

Curing:
2 loins for bacon
2 hind legs for hams


Tish

[Cobra]

Thanks Tish  thats made stuff more clear for me and sounds like a good range of joints etc; funnily enough I'm looking at 4 for here, I haven't got me pigs yet, just waiting on the holding number to arrive; my mouths watering already 

Gonna be an irritating bloke now Whats meant by 2's & 4's i.e. Chops and Belly strips?

Cheers 

[Hilarysmum]

Cobra I dont know what price you would pay for a vacuum sealer ours was around 100 euros on promo.  However its our second one, as we wore the first one out over 4 years.  Its an invaluable tool (well for me anyway). 

[Sudanpan]

He he  Not irritating promise!

Very straight forward answer to your question - chops in 2's, ie 2 in a bag, belly strips in 4's ie 4 strips to a bag 

If you are thinking of having 4 pigs just a word of warning - we got about 240kg of meat.....!!!!!! But it is deeeeeelicious 

Tish 

[Cobra]

Great food sealer it is then 

Ah Tish I see now  Sorry for being such a   and thank you very much indeed for explaining 

Yep I guessed it would produce a bit of meat. Once mothers are sorted it will put a hole in it, well a dent.

Looking out for chest freezers at the moment, no surprise there I guess 

[chickenfeed]

  we take a cutting list with the pigs

shoulders jointed
legs jointed
loin 1/2 into chops 1/2 bone in joint
belly slabs
hocks
offal
head
sausages

we leave the loin & belly in slabs so we can make our own dry cure bacon or have a joints, the head can be used for brawn etc (we strip ours for burgers)

if you tell the butcher how many are in your family they will cut to suit, from time to time we will have either 1/2 or 1 pig made into sausages, you can never have enough of a good sausage.

[Hilarysmum]

if you tell the butcher how many are in your family they will cut to suit, from time to time we will have either 1/2 or 1 pig made into sausages, you can never have enough of a good sausage.

Or burgers