Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Last weekend my husband and I attended a local festival, the Veseli Hoedown (clicketyfor a three minute video of polka music from a prior year).

Despite the crappy beer and crappier hamburgers (I think I got a mild case of food poisoning), I managed to win half a pig! Locally, humanely raised and to be processed in October. Anyone who has worked with a butcher on half a pig, please weigh in with any suggestions. I am sure I'll get the whole pig's leaf fat (who else but me would want it?!), but if you have advice on how to ask them to cut it, I am all ears.

I'll be interested in seeing how much fat your pork belly has. The pigs we get don't have a tremenous amount of fat which makes for slightly healthier bacon, perhaps.

Darcie,

There are a number of unusual cuts you really want:

Leaf Lard
The Diaphragm/Caul Fat
The Hanging Tender, from the diaphragm
The Skirts, Inside and Outside
Pork Belly with skinp-0n for porchetta

I would also suggest that you request that the loin ribs be left intact all the way to the belly. You will be amazed at the flavor that resides in those short ribs.

Get as much skin as possible and plan on cassoulet for the holidays.

tim

I'd also google some pig charts. Around here whole or half pork, lamb and beef sides are readily available, and the purveyors websites usually have cut options for you to choose how you want it both cut and packaged. I've found those resources helpful.

Amy

I got a half of pasture-fed pig and it changed flavors much quicker than the grass-fed beef I usually get. I would make sure to use it within six months, at most. Deb

I second the recommendation to get as much skin as possible. I recently saw this detailed post on another forum on making homemade pork rinds. They look amazing.

Pork Rinds

Congrats on your win!

--Lisa

Congratulations.

Don't forget the Cheeks for Guanciale!

I bought a pig via an FFA auction a few years ago...while it was one pretty pig it was awful to eat. It was so lean that it was hardly edible. I have learned to watch for the "heritage" breeds that have not had all of the fat bred out of them.

Good luck.

Thanks, everyone, for the excellent suggestions. I don't what breed it is, but it's not pasture fed (at least not wholly, the farmer said he uses feed). I assume it's the standard Duroc (lean) pig, but I will cross my fingers for a Berkshire or other heritage breed.

If Duroc, an excellent candidate for SV. (Frankly any piggy is...but a lean one is most noticeable for the difference.) Just add leaf lard to the bag, and it will come out very moist.

Amy