# I bought a pig!



## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Yep I have crossed over I am going to make an attempt to no longer buy my meat from the large chains and support my local farmers. I found a local farmer in Illinois from the Eat Wild website Bauer Meats (Home) and will be picking up the meat in early July. What a different experience it was. I spoke with the owner Sandy for at least a half hour about how they raise the pigs, what breed they are, how long they are left outside etc etc. The pigs are Berkshire and they are grass fed. I bought a half a pig (a whole was way too much meat) and I can't wait to see the difference.

I am thinking of doing an article for ChefTalk with photos of the whole experience if you guys think it would be interesting.

Anyone else buying their meats this way?


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

I buy hogs at the livestock auctions, then some buddies and I scald, scrape, butcher and cure them.

A whole hog lasts us about two years. But that's what smoke houses and freezers are for. :lips:

Lately I've been thinking of getting goats the same way. 

I, for one, would be interested in hearing about your experiences.


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

Reminds me of the time we were having a roast beef dinner at Paul's cousin in Marquette, MI. It was great, and he was sure to tell us that it was from a quarter of a cow he had bought (4-H). How, we asked, do you buy a quarter of a cow? Easy, he said: you split a half a cow.

As for preservations: besides freezing and smoking, don't forget salt-curing and confit. I presume there will be enough fat that you can render your own lard and use some for confit? (See Paula Wolfert's _Cooking of South West France_ for instructions and recipes. ) Please do keep us informed!


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

yep only my last pig lastest 2 weeks.....except for the 10# of boudin still in the freezer.
A bone saw is very important....and I adore my new uniworld sausage grinder/stuffer....way better than the junky K-6 professional version that just can't sustain the power.

My pig comes scalded hairless and cut in half with the leaf lard on the inside, the head in one bag and the liver/heart/kidneys in another. I pay $25 for that service. works for me.
The pork we're getting is heirloom mutt.....duraq, tammworth, berkshire, etc with great marbling, wonderful thick white fat, incredible flavor. We did a cost breakdown, photos and tasting last Oct 23. One of the chefs makes guanciale, another smokes hams, a couple of others smoke the shoulders for BBQ. The belly seems to go to waste for me, one of my buddies is going to prep it next time I buy another....probably in 2 weeks, just in time for the 4th.
*Grass fed hog? are you sure? never heard of that.....raised with the access to outdoors yes, but not a grass fed hog.

Recipes....always can use more sausage recipes.....how to and when to use salt peter, etc....optimal temp of meat....what freezes well, which casing work for which sausage.....how to clean offal.....all questions inquiring minds would like to know.


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

I would love to hear about it!
Moving to the south west, I think I will be closer to purchasing as you do. 
Can't wait!
Congrats!:bounce:


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## lindat (Nov 11, 2006)

We are fortunate in that we live in the country and raise our own pork and beef for our freezer. Good for you for supporting the small farmer. 

Genetics do play a part in the quality of your pork, but the feed also plays a big part. I, too, am skeptical of the grass fed pig claim. That would be difficult to do, at best. Watching a pig root up the ground makes one wonder how many acres of grass it might take to raise "grass fed" pigs, and what kind of fences keep them home. Maybe they're fed grass hay? And, I'm not certain the quality of the meat would be improved over that of grain fed. 

The best pork we raise is fed on barley. The texture is closer to that of beef, and the flavor is great. My butcher can always recognize my pork without looking at the name because of the feed the animals received. No hormones, no medications. We buy 2 or 3 weaner pigs and feed them all the barley they want from a self feeder. I supplement with surplus fresh vegetables and spent plants from the garden as I can. The pigs live outdoors with a small shelter in a roomy pen. I make my own sausage and bacon as my grandmother taught me, and with my chef son to teach me the finer points of preparing the rest of the pork, life is very good.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Wow Linda good for you! That's really cool!

I wonder what the city would say if they found a coupla oinkers in my backyard?? My pets! That's it, yeah.


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## deltadoc (Aug 15, 2004)

I buy my meat from Venison America ( Welcome to Venison America ) and deal directly with the owner, Steve. They buy their Berkshire pigs from local farmers who raise them free range, without antibiotics, hormones, etc.

In fact, all the meat that VA sells is bought from small producers. Their Black Angus is Certified 100% Black Angus and is grown by small farms. It is delicious.

doc


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Farmer's Markets are excellent resources for meats......my pigs come from a farmer that sells at two different markets....one Wed. afternoon, so he delivers to restaurants (and I would assume individuals that buy 1/2-whole critters) then.....he's also in town on Sat. mornings. With the volume of the markets he has them butchered every week. USDA processor, necessary for restaurants. The direct buy saves me a lot of money and I'm sure puts more money in the farmer's pocket. win-win.
It's entertainment for all in the building to see this BIG (6'6") farmer hoist a hog 1/2 over his shoulder and walk it up the 3 flts of stairs to my kitchen.....his choice over the cart/elevator on the other side of the building.
LindaT (actually any of you that do it) would you share your techniques?

No farmer's markets near you? then contact the dept of ag for your state and do alittle research, most can hook you up with a farmer/processing plant.
If meat is not allowed at your markets, which is rare, then ask around the market master of some of the farmers probably know of heirloom farmers....most either raise their own or buy from people in their communities.

When Dr. Heidi was in STL she got to drive by the upscale home in Clayton, MO that is home to roosters, chickens, bee hives, a pool turned into an edible fish pond, bunnies, etc....middle of high-end homes.....so your pets would be named "Bacon" and "Ham"?


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Shroom, the pigs are pasture fed with a small suplement of grain. The grain is actually mixed by another local farmer so the owners know exactly what is going into the feed. The owner Sandy told me that they basically let the pigs do what they want if they want to come inside they can do so or if they want to go outside and dig and forage they can do that as well. Here is the quote from their website:


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

pigs root.....apparently they can totally distroy a wooded area....there's alot of controversy about putting rings in pigs noses, most farmers are for it.

Cool story, one of my favorite sustianable farmer has a deversified farm and has raised a few pigs each year......he also has Johnson rye grass which is a total bear to get rid of, horrible shtuff.....anyway the piggies love Johnson rye grass rhizomes. Total win-win....pigs eat the rhizomes, land is cleared and at the end the farmer eats the pork loins!!!

We got into the fed question with the farmers last Oct.....it was interesting how many chefs are asking for acorn fed pigs. ala Spain....Southwest Mo has alot of oaks, it'll be interesting to see what comes from that request.
I found Berkshires fed Jersey Cow whey....all of the heirloom pork I got for the pig party had no antibiotics/hormones, open to pasture/outdoor space, all fed decent shtuff but not the same fed. Water content varied, color of meat varied, marbling throughout was good except the loin I picked up at Sams just for the heck of it.....boy it was so bad next to all the other pork.

The price difference between buying bits and pieces vs. buying 1/2 or whole animal is HUGE.

The chef from American Place used to work at Daniels and they use boiled skin to add texture to pates, I've not quite figured out how to do that but want to learn more......there's alot of skin on a hog, I'm just not up for that much pork rinds.

Leaf lard is easy to detect and pull off....it's the white encased fat in the inner cavity. Over a slow flame, render the fat....I cut it into 2" pieces (one farmer puts it through a sausage grinder for faster rendering.....takes several hours, then I strain through a China cap lined with cheese cloth. refrigerate until solid, then using a scoop, make balls the size of a pie crust recipe (1/3-1/2 cup) freeze on a cookie sheet then bag them in ziplocs. Way easier to store and use. No frozen blocks of fat to hack on, just easy balls to work with......oh, leaf lard does not have a pork flavor thus it's great to use for sweet pies. Regular lard has a pronounced pork flavor and is better used for savory crusts, frying....oh man, chicken fried in lard is out standing.....crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.....or whatever you would use lard for...tamales, etc.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Nicko, I'll bet there's homemade sausage in your future! Please do make a photographic record of your experience. I'll look forward to reading it. If you make rillettes, please save a bite for me, good buddy. :lips:


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## chrose (Nov 20, 2000)

What's its name? :suprise: Why do I keep seeing Homer and Pinchy when I hear this?

YouTube - The Simpsons - Pinchy And Homer


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

I am totally jealous that would be my dream to have about 5 acres and raise my own pigs, cows, and chickens. How wonderful Linda that you are able to do that and even more so you had a grandmother to teach some of those techniques.

There is so much you can research about buying local and what the pigs are fed. To be completely honest only goal at this point is to get away from the commercial grown pork and support the local farmers. Although I did ask the owners if they feed the pigs apples or any other scraps they said they do not. Maybe in the future I can work with them on a more varied diet.

Thanks everyone great discussion.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Whatever you do, don't give the pigs names.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

unless the names remind you why they are living with you......"right, pork chop and andouille?"

I've noticed that one of the national wholesalers has taken to selling Berkshire meat, with a real nice upcharge. 
We're so lucky to have so much great pork in the midwest, most throughout this region should not have problems accessing well raised USDA butchered good pork. Chickens, are another matter. Pork is so plentiful and priced so you can buy it wholesale/direct from the farmers.


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## mattfin (Apr 16, 2007)

I have long considered getting a half a pig myself and going to work on things like the belly for bacon, or braised belly slices and the loins, chops and so forth for all the great stuff that can be done there, and who doesn't want to smoke their own ham/cook their own BBQ? But for me, a pig would be a space issue. I am not sure where/how I could store so much meat. Sure, curing the ham and belly would make refrigeration unnecessary, but the question to me then is what to do with all the other meat. I have a small fridge/freezer combo, and they have other stuff in them already... 

What do people out there do for storage? I am assuming you have tricks on this, and I would love to hear them!

Otherwise, my whole pig purchases are just for same/next day pig-pickin's, where the whole pig disappears at once. (Not that there's anything wrong with that!)


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

yep refrigeration can be a big issue. I have residential models in my catering kitchen and a couple at home. So as soon as the pig shows up we schedule breaking it down.
A bone saw makes life easier, the one I've got cost about $40 and well worth it. We've not cut bone in chops but taken the ribs off then cut off the boneless loin then used the back bones for stock (roasted).
The first pig I had my brother smoke the hams, the second pig I sold the raw hams outright.
Head and feet go right into the stock pot. Shoulders go into a bustub.Belly has gone into the freezer or has been cured and does take up extra space.
leaf lard goes right onto the stove. So by the end of the day the process is under way. 
One of my buddies suggested a ban(d) saw.....that just seems like a potential accident, it'd be good to have for cutting chops but it'll take several more pigs before opting for one.....now that takes up space.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

I cure so much of it that freezer/fridge space is not a problem. The bacon, hams, jowls, and neck all get cured and, usually, smoked. 

Lard is rendered down and stored in plastic containers, which do go in the freezer, except for the lard I trade off for home-made soap. 

Ribs are cooked immediately, cuz that's my reward for breaking down the pig. In short, the ribs get stored inside me. 

This basically leaves me the loins and shoulders. Storing them is not much of a problem, as I have both an upright and chest freezer, and can usually fit something like the loins in one or the other, betwixed the venison and the gamebirds. 

Generally, the shoulders get turned into pulled pork (24 hours in a slow smoker with my special mop sauce, ummmmmmm, ummmmm!), which lowers the storage problem even more, cuz the bone gets discarded.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Reading what shroom says reminds me of the time when me and my MIL had a conversation. She was talking about how they had to break down the pig and render the lard, and how the treat of the day was the cracklings.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Mmmm..... pork gribenes! :lips:


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

"Mmmm..... pork gribenes! "

You got it, bubala!


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Cajun boudin does it for me.....I'll put hours in to get boudin.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Interesting pig article in the NYT last Wed. 30-35# piglets/shoats roasted whole, sold whole $480.....um wow.....good return.....usually a little guy costs about as much as a 200# hog. Between processing and gestation/raising to 35# weight the majority of the labor has gone in already.
But $480 is still an exceptional return.

A whole shoulder roasted and served with numerous sets of tongs.....pig picking at it's best (only we always used fingers!)......facinating the route several restaurants are going in NYC.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

so, Nicko are you making sausage with your pig? if so what kind? using salt peter? can you get casings from your pig supplier? you getting the head and offal with your half? 
I'd love to have info on processing bellies.

The new priest I cook for has a sausage recipe from his grandmother, so it's at least 98 years old. He's going to look for his mother's reciept book....should be interesting. I can't wait for the next pig.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

"I'd love to have info on processing bellies."

Shroomgirl, processed bellies are called "bacon." If that's what you have in mind I can provide my dry-cure recipe and instructions. It's time consuming, but not difficult.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

sure that would be great thank you, but if you don't cure them they are still bellies....ala Chinese.....or Italian lardo, or....?


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## dmt (Jul 28, 2006)

Oh, but it helps tell them apart...

One would be "Breakfast", the other "Dinner"...:lips:


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## littlemama (Jun 19, 2007)

We raise just about everything we consume. we have done a hog before and the difference between one you raise and the stuff you buy in the store is drastic! Our pig was fed on barley, corn and oats. they do root around so we kept her in her own pen. that was part of controling what she ate. We also process our own turkeys and chickens, rabbits and goats. There are only a few months out of the year that there is no fresh meat in our freezer. 

I think you will be very pleased with your choice of farm raised meat. Any one who has the chance should do this.....remember your county fair is a very good source and buying at the Jr. Livestock Auctions will help support the youth groups.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Small Farm Conference in Columbia, Mo each late Fall has numerous heirloom/heritage (is there a difference?) bread animals for sale and of course the various groups of farmers interested in selling grown critters for meat.

The Mo. State Fair is huge, really huge.....Sedalia in the middle of summer.....it's fun to see the hams hanging and various canned goods.


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## littlemama (Jun 19, 2007)

Heirloom/heritage breeds are old breeds of animals that are very few in number that were numerous back in the day. the bases for alot of our Modern breeds of today......revitalized aniques if you will.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

are the terms interchangable or do they mean different things?


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## littlemama (Jun 19, 2007)

Heirloom breeds are breeds that originated from Europe and brought here and were bred here with out changes.

Heritage breeds originated here in the states. usually two heirloom breeds or an heirloom and common breed bred together. the offspring bred to produce disired traits. still these breeds are very few in number....considered classics. for every kind of animal, there are websites that will show those antique breeds. I hope this helps.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Shroomgirl, there are no hard and fast definitions, but the terms are generally used interchangeably. They're the animal version of heirloom veggies.

I would check with Ron before touting the Small Farm Conference. He hasn't paid last year's bills, yet, and there's some question as to whether or not it will continue.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

wow, too bad.....kind of surprising now that heirloom breeds/seeds are on the cusp of general public knowledge.....after numerous years of hibernation.
Wonder what's going on with Small Farms....grants should be fairly easy to come by with all of the networking happening at the conference.

Jose Garcia has left Mizzou Sustainble Ag, not alot has happened with the CFSSA board in a good long while. The effectiveness of the group has not been capitalized on.....most of us that have been on the board from the beginning do not know what each of the others is up to.....really unfortunate, because there would be alot of overlap.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Yeah, well, they've been having a lot of problems over there---health and otherwise---and neither Ron nor Paul have been able to put in the time that the conference (or, for that matter, the magazine) deserves.

Anyway, here is the dry cure I promised you:

1-15 lbs canning or other coarse salt
6 lb brown sugar
8 oz ground black pepper
2 oz cayenne
1 jar (.62 oz) rubbed sage

Combine all ingredients well. 

To make bacon, you need a waterproof table with a drain. You can jury-rig using a plywood panel covered with oilcloth or a plastic tarp, and leaned in the direction of drainage. 

Put down a good bed of the cure (we're talking several inches). Lay your pork bellies on the cure, and cover with additional cure, rubbing it in well.

At least once a day, turn the bellies, and recover them with the cure, adding more if necessary. Continue doing this until liquid stops running from the pork, which can be anything for one to several weeks. 

Hang the bacons to dry, so that a pelicle is formed. Put in the smoker.

If you're not going to smoke them, wrap them in cheesecloth and either newsprint or one of the muslin bags designed for the purpose. Hang in a dry, airy location.

Long about March they will start to drip again. This is normal, and is nown as the second sweat. They'll dry up again, and, after that, can be kept hanging as long as you wish.


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## mannlicher (Jan 8, 2006)

now just bite the bullet, and learn to do your own slaughtering and butchering. Its pretty easy, and I find I get a much higher yield when I do my own.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

I'll pass on slaughtering and scalding.....but butchering sure is a delight.


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