HELP! What do I tell the butcher??? (Pig)

[Kim_NC]

I'm probably too late....but did you ask for the fat so you can render your own lard?

ETA: Congrats! Let us know how you like your fisrt meal of REAL pork!

 

[Wifezilla]

Darn right I asked for the fat

 

[curly_kate]

I recently went through the same thing, but I just explained that this was the first time we'd ordered a pig, and the lady from the meat locker set me up with the usual order. I was disappointed because we only got 2 packs of spare ribs. My FIL does amazing work with smoking ribs, so I was hoping to have more for him to use. I also really love a good pork tenderloin, and we didn't get any of that. If I ask for these items, does it end up wasting a lot of other pork? I'll ask them about it next time, but since WZ brought it up, I thought I'd ask.

They also acted like I was crazy to request 2" chops!

 

[raiquee]

I recently went through the same thing, but I just explained that this was the first time we'd ordered a pig, and the lady from the meat locker set me up with the usual order. I was disappointed because we only got 2 packs of spare ribs. My FIL does amazing work with smoking ribs, so I was hoping to have more for him to use. I also really love a good pork tenderloin, and we didn't get any of that. If I ask for these items, does it end up wasting a lot of other pork? I'll ask them about it next time, but since WZ brought it up, I thought I'd ask.

They also acted like I was crazy to request 2" chops!

Am I wrong in thinking tenderloin is part of chops? I think thats how it goes, so if you get tenderloin, I think you get ribs. If you want chops it's the tenderloin plus the ribs...or something.

I'm new to pig anatomy, so I may be wrong If this is the case however, and you got a whole pig butchered, I don't see why they can't pull a tenderloin from one side, and do the otherside as chops?? Someone correct me?

 

[Wildsky]

Good!

When we bought half a cow I was also nervous - but the lady was super nice and talked me through it all. I made sure she knew I wanted all the bones for the dog - and any bones for soup/broth etc.

She just asked how many of us in the house, how many times a week we ate ground beef and how often I cooked roasts etc..

Small town processor/butcher - they were really nice.

 

[silvermoon]

With pork you want roasts and chops.

Tenderloin is a choice cut and if you can get one of those, its a serving for special occasion. I do mine with orange and rosemary and garlic.

People like Pork Ribs too. Makes great barbecue!

I make shredded pork out of the shoulder roasts. Boneless is a lot easier to wok with!

Everything else can be ground for sausage and mixed with fresh sage,salt and pepper, that's a real treat.

So the butcher will cut the carcass and he has to figure out how to divide the quarters.

To get a full list of the cuts, look for a cookbook with a diagram. Joy of Cooking and maybe Cook's Magazine Website might have one. Then, you can see pictures while the butcher is explaining it to you.

Don't be afraid to ask him his opinion, but remember, everybody wants roasts and chops. If you don't -the other 3/4's will get them...

Good luck and good eating!

 

[framing fowl]

Okay, we're thinking about dipping our toe in the water. So what is a good price for the actual pig? We've seen .85 and $1/lb live weight on craigslist. We figure the processing costs are what they are depending on what cuts we want. What other questions do you ask the pork people? Does breed matter? What do I need to know about what the pig has been fed? Thanks!

 

[ORChick]

One of the best books I've found for learning about the various cuts of meat is called "Cutting Up in the Kitchen" by Merle Ellis. I have found it in several libraries, and was happy to find it in a used book shop a few years ago. It was written in the 1970's, but is still very useful. Written by a butcher, with explanations and diagrams of the various cuts, and instructions for buying larger pieces, and cutting them up yourself (cheaper!).

 

[GPN]

 

[Kim_NC]

Okay, we're thinking about dipping our toe in the water. So what is a good price for the actual pig? We've seen .85 and $1/lb live weight on craigslist. We figure the processing costs are what they are depending on what cuts we want. What other questions do you ask the pork people? Does breed matter? What do I need to know about what the pig has been fed? Thanks!

Hope this will help....first a basic understanding of terms:
live weight - on the hoof, live animal
hanging weight - weight of carcass after killing, with guts and hide removed
finished weight - actual weight of meat after processing carcass

Here prices are $0.75 - $1.00/lb live weight. The ideal size of a market hog is 250 - 275 lbs. From a 250 lb hog you will get:
- approx 175 lbs hanging weight.
- finished meat will be approx 140 lb, depending on whether your chops and roasts are bone-in or boneless, and how much you have ground. If you go boneless or heavier on the sausage side, you'll have less finished weight.

Processing here runs $0.50 - 0.60 per lb based on hanging weight. There is usually a killing fee as well, $35 - 40.

Finished meat yields for a hog carcass divides roughly into
- 55% chops, steaks and roasts (or hams, shoulders)
- 13% ground/sausage (or stir fry)
- 10% ribs
- 3% hocks
- 6% bone and fat
You can of course have more ground for sausage and less in chops or roasts.

Estimating your freezer - In general, 30 pounds of meat takes up one cubic foot of freezer space.

About what the animal has been fed:
We prefer ours on pasture. We also feed garden veggie waste and a high protein organic pig feed that amounts to about 30% of their diet. In the Winter we feed hay to replace the pasture grasses. They get occasional treats of breads and fruits as well. Some growers have access to dairy products - that's good.

I would not take a pig/hog fed slop (kitchen wastes or restaurant wastes) or commercial dog food, etc. What they eat does change the texture and flavor of the meat. I have no objection to a little of this type feed, but a heavy diet of it does not make the best meat.

edit: typos