Last Saturday, our friend & neighbor, Craig Biggers decided it was time to butcher one of his 2 Red Wattle pigs, "Beans" ("Pork" needs to get a little fatter, so he's safe for now).
Since Aaron and I would eventually like to have 1-2 pigs of our own, we asked if we could help.
Craig graciously let us tag along and help out in anyway we knew possible...which was limited.
Craig graciously let us tag along and help out in anyway we knew possible...which was limited.
The following pictures are for those interested in seeing all that goes into getting a small-farm hog onto your plates...BEWARE!!!!! THESE ARE GRAPHIC, so stop now if you have a weak stomach (on the right side of the screen, click on "Christmas 2010" to skip ahead)!
To everyone else, enjoy!
When H.W. was a little boy in Arkansas, his family would get up very early on hog-killing days. He'd be very hungry after a few hours, so his mother would let him have the "melt" out of the hog. I'm not sure what this is: I think it was right next to the stomach?
So, reliving his youth, H.W. cooked it over an open fire. It tasted kind of like bologna...after a generous sprinkling of salt!
Cutting the skin into cubes in order to render the lard. Heating the cubes separates the fat from the skin. The skin that's left over is called "cracklins" and can be put into cornbread batter to make "Cracklin Cornbread." The cracklins can also be reheated in the oven to make pork rinds--probably much better than you can buy at the gas station...and with no other preservatives besides salt!
My camera battery died, so I didn't get pictures of us grinding the lesser cuts into breakfast sausage.
**It was a fun & educational day, utilizing the old self-sufficient skills that have kept humans alive for centuries!
