Sir Loin was delivered to the local processor this morning at 9 am. I got there a little too late to actually be a witness to his end, but Jr. told me it was quick and easy, one shot and he was done. I’m thankful for that.
Laying in the truck, it was a bit sobering, to see this huge large dead animal that once was alive and rooting about in the pen with his buddies. He was nearly 6 feet long, all stretched out and still. I patted his bristly side and said thanks.
The menfolk got them into the truck with a bit of hard effort and such, but it was accomplished with grace and skill and we were off to the butchers within a half hour or so.
I was happy to see that it was a local fellow, with his own abattoir for game and livestock. Normally he doesn’t do hogs at this time of the year because he’s doing maple syrup! But the weather was so bad, there was none to be made, so we lucked out! His prices seem so reasonable…. 40 cent a pound for processing, and 50 cents a pound extra for smoking. He does it all in house. Again, another plus in my book, I like supporting local businesses.
It was a little weird to be standing there, and he comes up and hooks them each with a big hook and pulls them off the truck with ease. And then to be standing there at the counter, making out my wish list of cutting instructions while they lay on the clean, concrete floor.
I did some research last night, just trying to figure out the ins and outs of hog butchering and how I should best get my hog prepared. WIth just three people in the family, I knew that I really didn’t want a 18 pound ham. So he is going to halve it and then slice off some thick ham slices so that we will get a good portion on the two hams. We are having all our belly smoked into bacon, because, we like bacon. We’re getting one back loin cut into roasts and the other side into 3/4 inch pork chops. He’s saving me the leaf lard for pies and pastries… ribs, yup. We’re getting several pounds of soup bones and dog bones. We’re getting the pork butt for a BBQ to be announced! Oh yes and many pounds of sausage, in two batches… one as maple breakfast seasoned and one with no seasoning so that we can make our own special seasonings of sausage. We like making sausage, it’s just hard to grind it nicely. And it’s always good for meatloaf and meatballs and other add ins. We’re not that fond of the traditional fennel and Italian seasonings for sausage. The heart and liver are going to our buddy Uncle Rod, mostly because we just don’t eat that. Hocks are being smoked for soups. Shoulders are going into the sausage mix.
He’ll be ready in about 2 weeks, maybe a bit less. And should cost about $150 in processing. Considering that my total investment so far is $25 for the pig… and 6 feed bills of $15 each… $115… and if he dresses out about 180 to 200 pounds… then we’re looking at less than $1.50 a pound for all this precious meat! Pretty unbelievable. He said that a steer would cost about $300 for processing, which is much much less than a few other commercial places would have charged. Problem is, the cost of the steer would easily be a thousand dollars! Still, when I see beef going for 8 to 10 dollars a pound? It’s something to consider in the future.
I didn’t take pictures, just didn’t seem right. Plus my battery died and I didn’t want to be too late. It really was not bloody or messy. It was a shot to the head and dead. Not some sort of butcher knife slaughter. They looked like they were sleeping or something. Just big hogs in the back of a pickup truck.
Thanks Sir Loin! I’m sure we will enjoy you. I’m glad you had a nice piggy life. I hope if there is some sort of cosmic return that he gets to come back as a lap dog. Equally nice life of leisure, but without the finishing part at the end! That would be nice.
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