modom (palindrome guy) wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Aug 2007 09:08:48 -0500, Melba's Jammin'
> > wrote:
>
>> In article >,
>> "modom (palindrome guy)" > wrote:
>>
>>> He's hauling a hog to be slaughtered. A pastured hog who ate
>>> grasshoppers and crickets and snakes and acorns, not agribusiness
>>> hogchow and antibiotics. I'm getting half a hog.
>>>
>>> That's 100 pounds of pure pig. I'm getting a side of ribs, a whole
>>> loin, jowls (Guanciale!), a Boston butt, belly (bacon!), a passel of
>>> ground pork (sausage, anyone?), and a whole fresh ham.
>>>
>>> The ultimate plan is to cure the ham. I'm going to make prosciutto!
>>>
>>> I'll report in March or April.
>>>
>>> Living on this benighted prairie sometimes has its pleasures.
>
>> What's the price if you don't mind me asking? Price on the hoof or
>> hanging weight or wrapped and butchered? I'm assuming they'll butcher
>> to your specs? I cry for happy you. My pigmeat guy
>> (http://www.amorpork.com) will be here on Saturday -- your post reminded
>> me to check, thank you. Great bacon and sausage patties. Links are
>> dry. I've not tried his ham.
>
> It's pretty pricey. About $4.50 a pound. The final bill is yet to
> come, so the estimate is rough. The price is for butchered and
> wrapped chunks o' pig. He and I discussed the cuts I wanted and what
> I listed above is a rough laundry list of what I came up with. Ruhlman
> and Polcyn's "Charcuterie" passed before my eyes as I ordered the
> jowls and the belly and the ham. The pig man ordinarily smokes bacon
> for his customers. Hams, too. He was amused and tolerant that I
> wanted that privilege for myself.
>
> Of course, prosciutto isn't smoked, and now I have to find a place
> that's 60 F to hang the meat for 5-6 months. I need a cave.
> --
>
> modom
>


How much per pound for just a hanging half-a-pig? In other words, are
you paying a fortune for him to cut it up? And does he weigh it before
or after he cuts and wraps it? Do you get all the scraps?

As much as I hate it, I agree with Sheldon about the fresh ham being a
better use than curing it. I've butchered hogs with my dad, and we
cured the hams and bacon. The meat was extraordinary (you could almost
taste the crickets, LOL) but the ham was not nearly as good as what we
could buy already cured from a good butcher. The bacon OTOH was
wonderful. And the fresh lard made the best pound cakes ever.

Bob