After asking several of you if this would be a subject of interest, the answer was yes. The video is done as tastefully as I could while still showing you how to do things.
The pioneers had to butcher their own meat and while you can go to a butcher, we prefer to do things ourselves if we can. Below is the video link to show you how to butcher and prep a whole pig for a pig roast. It starts after the pig is shot and bled, beginning with the scraping off of the hair.
To scrape off the hair, you have to dip your pig in hot water. The water needs to be 150 degrees, or hot enough to hold your hand in for only five seconds according to old timers (I recommend a thermometer). If it's boiling, then you'll cook the skin and you don't want to to do that until you begin roasting your pig.
Tug on the hair and if it starts to come loose, transfer your pig to a table and begin scraping off the hair with a bell scraper and sharp knife. Even if your pig has patches of color, it will scrape off leaving a nice white hide.
Once all the hair is scraped off, use a small torch to sear off any small remaining hairs.
Now you need to gut your pig, the same as you would for a deer or cow. If you've never gutted an animal, have someone with experience come over to show you how. If you nick the bladder or intestines, your meat will be tainted.
After gutting the pig, put him in a cooler. Next week I'll share my recipe for the dry rub, barbecue sauce, and we'll go through the actual roasting process.
Do you raise any of your own meat? Do you butcher it yourself or hire that part out?
Hello…we purchased a hog this week and took part in the butchering process. The farmer whom we bought it from nicked the stomach when he pulled out the innards. I immediately took a hose to it and rinsed it out, it looked to be chewed-up grass. In reading above, I’m worried about the meat being tainted. Do you think it’s ok?
Michelle,
That’s a hard call, obviously washing immediately is the best call. It would depend on if the animal had any bacteria in the guts that could have transferred to the meat. With pork especially, keeping it cold and always cooking thoroughly to the proper temperature is a must. Was it the stomach he nicked or the intestines?
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I just found your blog and can’t believe how timely it is. Next weekend we will be butchering our very first pig. Actually, our first butchering of any kind. We are not having a pig roast, however. We are planning to cure and/or smoke it. I would LOVE any tips you may have! Am I too ambitious hoping to use every part of the pig (including rendering lard)?
Kirsten, welcome! And congrats on your first butchering. I think it’s great you’re going to use every part of the hog. I haven’t rendered lard yet, but I know a few friends who have. Be sure to save every piece of fat, even the small stuff, so that you have enough. Pigs don’t renders as much lard as cattle, but you should get a fair amount depending on the size of your hog.
Here’s an article on how to render the lard that should help you out. http://www.motherearthnews.com/common-fare/how-to-render-lard.aspx#axzz2L5Dhln1j
I’d love to hear about your experience when it’s done.
So glad to see this post. We raise our own meat ~ eggs, beef, pork, lamb, and chicken but the only things we have ever butchered ourselves is meat chickens. We’ve been wanting to do a pig roast so it will be fun to see how you do it.
Found you through your guest post at Prairie Homestead.
Kim, Welcome and glad to see you. I’ll be giving the recipe and actual roasting tutorial next Wednesday. We also raise beef as well.