Butcherng a pig.

[RobertBrown]

I made Italian sausage with fresh herbs out of the little sow. It was amazing....and even better in a ragu that I made out of the sausage....I'm into Italian cooking. I've made my own pancetta out of domestic pork belly. Very easy. Very tasty. :licking:

Sausage is truly a gift
One to be enjoyed with beer.
Beer and sausage is nirvanna. If you have never killed your sausage meat......... well.... you just don' t get it.

 

[N80]

Here is an update. I killed two sows about a month ago. Both about 150 pounds. I just skinned them both. Took the loins and (tiny) tenderloins out. Ground the shoulders and made sausage (italian and breakfast) and removed the hams. We had the loins grilled and sliced thin as well as butterflied, stuffed with the sausage and fennel, and we've eaten the sausage various ways. Was not sure what to do with the hams so yesterday we thawed one, brined it for about 4 hours and put a mild spice rub on it then put it in a pot with carrots, celery, onions and a little chicken stock and cooked it in the oven at 350 for about 4 hours. It was not exciting, but it was not tough or gamey at all. It was good with a little homemade peach jam on the side.

Anyway, when skinning these pigs it is amazing how sweet and un-gamey they smell. One of them was black and shaggy and had a good bit of fat on her. The other looked much more domestic and was much leaner. Next time, if I find a fat one again I'm going to see if there is any belly meat to speak of and maybe cure it.

I would still love to be able to get the hair off one and barbecue it whole or split.