| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| boisdevie1 |
We're getting half a pig - what do we do with it?We've ordered half a pig for the end of October. I would like to do salami but don't have the setup to control temp/humidity. So for the rest I'm thinking of:Ham with the leg, then perhaps smoke it. Bacon. Lardons with the belly - then smoked. Pork chops. Use the shoulder for sausages. Does anyone have any other cunning plans? |
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| marigold |
Are you going to brawn the head? | ||
| boisdevie1 |
If I get the head, yes. |
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| wellington womble |
Have a look here in the articles section (or click on the articles link at the top left of the page, and look under food processing)
There are also articles on butchering, pork pie, sausages and bacon. There are lots of threads about sausage recipes and hams as well, my own favourites are listed here, although they are not my original recipes I hasten to add (my husband did invent the pizza sausage, but I'm not having anything to do with that!) I use alisons ham cure - half sugar to salt and three days per kilo in a plastic bag in the bottom of the fridge. I tried fancy beer brines, and couldn't taste any difference, myself. More sausage advice (also Alison's) here and general advice all over the place (downsizers seem to be quite prolific on pork products!) Oh GET THE BUTCHER TO DO YOUR MINCING FOR YOU unless you are seriously short of things to do, mincing is hard work and tedious, and you may still be making sausages at midnight. This is no fun at all, with it all already minced, you can get straight on with the inventing sausages, which is much more fun. Sausages are really convenient for freezing, but if you don't have a stuffer, then sausage burgers or meatballs taste exactly the same, and are a million times better than anything you can buy! To anyone else dithering about half a pig, please get one. I wish I'd done it years before I did - it's really not difficult and the pork products are amazing (people think you're really amazingly clever, too. I had a proposal of marriage over my ham, and I reckon I spent less time on it than the potato dauphinois I served with it  )
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| dpack |
clear plenty of space ,
practice makes it easier have everything ready enjoy the roasty chunk during the cutting/salting etc |
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| Nick |
Chops....lardons.
Which bits are you planning on turning into bacon? And, with winter coming, I'd say have a go at salamis. It's cool and draughty, you'll be fine. Remember, all of these types of things grew from having no controllable environments, and a necessity to store meat for months at a time. |
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| wellington womble |
The last half pig I have notes for was divided thus:
Shoulder - 3 roasting joints on the bone (approx 1.5 kilos each) Hand and hock - boned and diced (pork pie and minced for sausage) Loin - minced for meat/salami. Sometimes keep as joints for roasting. Occasionally have some chops, but we don't much like them. belly - three joints, thick end on bone for roasting, middle off bone for streaky bacon, thin end minced for fat content of sausage leg - in three joints for ham, one for parma-style ham, two for baked and boiled fillet - kept whole, but I usually chop it up and stir fry it also back fat for salami, liver for pate, kidneys for dogs. keep ribs for spare ribs in bbq sauce It's quite personal though. I can't imagine many people don't eat chops (everyone except my husband seems to love them) so think about what you eat on a regular basis. The most important things to me are roasting joints, hams and sausages followed by salami, pork pie and streaky bacon (don't eat much back bacon) I would sometimes like a bit of diced meat for a casserole, or some mince for something other than sausages, but they are nowhere near as nice as ham and sausage, so I don't give them priority on my cutting list. |
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| boisdevie1 |
Thanks for all the replies. I might just try salami. Sausages are not a problem as I regulary mince 10kg with the Kenwood. But I do like mincing. | ||
| alison |
WW
We never have chops. We usually only have the tenderloin, and a leg for our own consumption, as the rest goes for bacon and sausages, for the B&B, but I wouldn't have the chops as choice either, as I prefer lamb chops. |
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| judith |
Me neither. Pork loin roast definitely, but never chops. They tend to be too big for me. |
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| gunners71uk |
is it cheaper to buy half a pig can you reccomend any sites please | ||
| Nick |
halfapig.co.uk 
Which will take you to... http://handmademeat.co.uk/pork/half-a-pig/detailed-product-flyer.html |
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| gunners71uk |
doh !!!!!! ta very much | ||
| Nick |
For those who may be new to it, it's a portal for several suppliers on here, so Rob R may offer some lamb, Alison may have chickens on there, or you may be lucky enough to get some pork from Wales. |