Pigs, whether wild or farm-raised, can provide a large supply of meat. Knowing the proper way to organ, clean, and butcher a pig will keep your refrigerator full for months to come. With the right tools, you can learn to make the right cuts and avoid spoilage and waste from the process. See step one for more information.
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Method 1 of 3: Preparing the Pork
Step 1. Prepare the appropriate equipment
The process itself is actually simple, a big job is slaughtering a pig – an average of 250 kilograms of pigs can produce 144 kilograms of ready-to-sell cuts of meat. That's a huge number of pigs that are worth it if you mishandle them, so it's important that you take the time to collect the tools to do things right, reducing any chances of spoilage and waste. We're not talking about a rabbit here. To process a pig, you will need:
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A sharp iron knife, at least six inches long
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A butcher bender and hoist, available at many outdoor and sporting goods stores
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Hacksaw, to separate the ribs
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A large tub or vat of water large enough to dip the pork in, as well as a heat source sufficient to heat the water to a boil
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A bucket
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A large, flat open surface, about waist height–a few wooden planks on an easel for a good emergency surface.
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A meat grinder for processing ground pork (optional)
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Step 2. Choose the right pig
The ideal pigs to choose from are young male sows that have been castrated before reaching sexual maturity, which are known as “barrows”, or young sows that are known as “gilts”. Pigs are usually slaughtered in the fall when temperatures begin to cool, when the pigs are 8-10 months old and weigh between 180 and 250 kilograms. Do not give any food for 24 hours before harvesting so that the pig's intestinal tract is clean. Provide plenty of fresh and clean water for pigs to drink.
- Old, whole sows nicknamed wild boars have a distinctive taste, as a result of scent gland hormones, while sows-old sows-have a similar smoke in taste.
- If you are processing wild boars, you need to remove the genitals and odor glands near the back immediately to avoid “stains”. Some hunters will trim a bit of fat and fry it to check for any peculiar smell before wrapping the pork, you can also process it straight away, as some people don't really mind the taste.
Step 3. Kill the pig with humanity
Whether you choose farm-raised pigs or hunt in the wild, you need to make sure you start the process as cleanly as possible using a quick kill, running blood immediately after to enhance the flavor of the meat. The issue of killing pigs by blood flow is a matter of debate.
- The morally preferred method of killing pigs is to use fire from a rifle with at least a.22 caliber in the brain to kill the pig quickly and painlessly. Draw an imaginary line from the base of each ear towards the opposite eye and point to the intersection of the two points. Pig brains are very small, so accurate shots are very important.
- Traditionally, many butchers have chosen to kill pigs by bleeding them out after hitting them with a hammer, because shooting them is very complicated. A common belief is that if the vein is cut while the pig is still alive, the blood will dry more completely and the meat will be tastier. In commercial slaughterhouses, pigs are electrically immobilized and then killed by cutting a vein in the neck. However, for some people, this is a very rude act.
- In the United States, the Humane Slaughter Act of 1978 (HMSA) prohibits the inhumane slaughter of farm animals, such as pigs, that are used for commercial purposes. Technically, this law only applies to pigs slaughtered in USDA-approved facilities, not private property. However, some countries have ruled that livestock can only be processed in these facilities, so it is important that you research the state regulations that control livestock. You can read federal regulations here.
Step 4. Cut the pork throat
After you have killed or immobilized the pig with a single shot, feel and find the breastbone, and insert your knife a few inches above it, making an incision in the front of the throat, at least 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) long. Insert the knife into your incision, and push it about 6 inches (15 cm) up, at a 45-degree angle toward the tail. Twist and take out your knife. This is the quickest way to "stick" the pig. The blood will soon begin to dry.
- Some people find it difficult to find the right point to attach the pig quickly. If you're not sure if you've got the point right, what you need to cut is the vein in the neck. Some people cut across the throat, just below the jaw, all the way to the spine. You will know if you have got the exact point of the amount of blood flowing out.
- Be very careful as you proceed to the next step if the pig is still struggling. If you have just immobilized a pig with a shot, you will need to cut its throat before you hang it. Be very careful. Pigs may still struggle unknowingly, making it dangerous to get inside with a very sharp knife. Turn the pig back and hold the pig's forelegs in place with your hands, letting your partner use the knife.
Step 5. Hang the pig
After killing or immobilizing the pig, you need to hang it using a meat arch, which looks like a large coat hanger made for hanging meat. Hook a chain to the meat arch and attach it to a hoist, or the back of a truck if you prefer.
- Start by sliding the hook at the bottom of the bend of the meat through the heel of the pork, stab it deep enough to accommodate the entire weight of the pig. Then use a hoist (or sledgehammer) to raise the pig and let gravity do its part to drain the pig's blood. This should be done as soon as the pig has been killed. A pig takes 15-20 minutes to bleed.
- If you don't have a meat arch, you can make a small incision behind the pork hind leg tendon and insert a wooden dowel, or a pipe instead. You can hook a chain at the end and make your own meat arch.
- Barn rafters are the perfect place to hang pigs, as are sturdy tree branches that hang low. Find the exact location, as close as possible to the murder scene, before you get to the 250 lb. corpse. in your hands. If needed, place the pig in the cart to transfer it to the drying location.
- Use a clean, sterile bucket to collect pig blood if you wish. Put the whole pig's head in the bucket to make sure all the blood is collected. Pork blood is a very tasty sauce and is a highly sought after ingredient for cooking.
Step 6. Boil the skin in hot water, if you want to keep it
Many butchers will probably want to save the skin, including bacon, belly fat, and crispy pork, making it useful, delicious, and a little more labor intensive than if you were just skinning the pork. If you prefer, the best way to remove the hair is to dip the pig a few times in water to heat it up and scrape the skin thoroughly.
- The best way to heat water is usually very simple: Light a fire in a safe fire pit and put a basin in it, or on a sturdy grate. The water doesn't need to be heated to a boil, but the temperature to heat it should be at least 150 F. Make sure it's safe. With the pork in the arc of the meat, gently dip it into the boiling water for no more than 15 or 30 seconds, then remove it.
- If you don't have a vat big enough to soak a pig, some people have managed to soak a burlap sack in hot water and wrap the pig in it for a few minutes to smooth the hair and start using a scraper.
- Wild boars with super thick fur need to be sheared using pruners or large shears before dipping like domestic pigs, whose fur is usually finer.
Step 7. Scrape off the hair using a sharp knife
After dipping the pork, place the pork on a flat surface and get to work. A few pairs of easel with plywood boards and a tarp can work perfectly in a pinch, as can a picnic table, if you have one. You want the pork to be about waist-high. A sharp knife will do an excellent job of scraping fine hairs from the skin.
- Starting at the top of the belly, place the knife perpendicular to the pig and scrape it toward your body in long, soft strokes. It takes time and a few dyes to completely remove the hair. Some people will repeat and use a small torch to remove any remaining hair if needed
- Pork scrapers are commonly used when processing pork, but they are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Many people will use a torch, as it is very effective at removing small, hard-to-find hairs from the skin.
Step 8. Skin the pig if you don't want to remove the hair
If you don't have a vat big enough to heat the pork in, or don't want to do it, it's okay to just peel and remove the skin. Skip to the following method to remove the entrails, then use your knife around the pork thigh to begin peeling the skin.
To remove the pork skin, pull the pork skin back and using a very sharp boning knife underneath, work your way down slowly while trying to retain as much fat as possible. Skinning a pig takes between 30 minutes to 1 hour
Method 2 of 3: Removing the Organs
Step 1. Cut around the anus and pull it up
To start removing the entrails, use a smaller knife around the anus (and vaginal opening) of the pig, about an inch or two deep. Make a circle about two inches wider than the anus so you don't penetrate the colon. Grasp and pull gently, then use a rubber band or zipper to clamp. This closes everything off, so you'll be able to pull it out the other side when you open the pork breast.
- Some butchers remove these organs after removing the offal and intestines, but taking precautions is a good thing, as there are parts of the pig that harbor bacteria that can contaminate the meat.
- Remove the male bear's testicles, if you haven't already. Wrap a rubber band around the testicles to hold them together and cut. This is best done as soon as possible after killing the pig. To remove the penis, pull the penis away from the pig, then using your knife under it, cut along the muscle leading to the tail. Pull and throw.
Step 2. Cut from the sternum to the groin
Squeeze the skin near the base of the breastbone, where the ribs end and the abdominal area begins, and pull it as far toward you as possible. Insert your knife and continue downward slowly toward the midline of the pork belly, between the nipples. Be very careful not to puncture the line of the stomach and intestines. Keep using your knife up until you get to between the pork legs.
At some point in this process, it's possible that gravity will work on you and your bowels will come out on their own without you needing to do much. When you're starting to open your stomach, it's a good idea to have a large bucket or basket ready to hold your organs. These organs are heavy, and it is very important that you handle them gently
Step 3. Grab the hole near the groin and pull it down
Everything in the digestive tract will fall off relatively easily with minimal effort, including the lower intestine that you tied up earlier. Use your knife to cut stubborn connective tissue. The kidneys and pancreas are edible and are frequently ordered portions.
- Some serious do-it-yourselfers will save the intestines for processing into sausages, although this is a time-intensive and laborious process.
- Adipose tissue is a layer of fat that sits near the kidneys of pigs, and is very often ordered to be processed into lard. You don't need to separate them now, but treat the holes gently as you remove the organs into the bucket. Adipose tissue can be removed by “grasping” the tissue, basically by pulling it with your hands.
Step 4. Separate the ribs at the front by splitting the breastbone
After removing the entrails, you need to open the pork breast to remove any remaining organs. You can use your knife to separate the front of the ribs, using them between the layers of cartilage that connect the sternum. You don't need to use a saw to do this. Liver and liver are usually ordered and eaten.
- Some people will start by inserting the knife back into the "stick" of the puncture and cutting toward the tail, while others find it easier to start near the belly toward the head. Do whatever is most comfortable for you in your workplace.
- You should freeze the organs you want to save as soon as possible. Clean the organs in cold water and freeze, wrapping in butcher's paper in the refrigerator. The organs need to be stored between 33 and 40 degrees F.
Step 5. Remove the pig's head
Behind the ear, use your knife in a circular motion around the throat to separate the head, with the jaw as a guide. When you separate the meat and see the collarbone, you need to get in there with a machete to cut through the spine with a hard cut.
- If you want to remove the head and leave the jaw intact, cut it towards the corner of the mouth, below the ear, separating the flesh. Jaws are perfect for making jaw meat, but some people prefer to clean and leave the heads attached to make cheese heads.
- You can also remove the foot at the "ankle" of the knuckle, just above each sole. Use a hacksaw to cut the muscle and remove the leg.
Step 6. Rinse the hole thoroughly with water
A little fluff can be very strong when you're working with pigs. The fur will stick to the fat and become hard to find. Before you leave the meat for a day to process it, it is important to rinse it one more time in clean cold water, hang it to dry before refrigerating it.
Step 7. Freeze carcasses for at least 24 hours before breaking them
To dry the meat, the pork needs to be kept for at least a day in cold temperatures, between 30 to 40 degrees F. A portable refrigerator is the easiest way to do this, or to process it in very cold weather, which allows you to cool it in the shed or garage.
- Making the cuts needed to crack a pork chop is nearly impossible with meat that is warm, or even stored at room temperature. The whole process of making the necessary butcher cuts will be much easier using cold meat.
- You can also do an “ice and brine chill”, by filling a vat large enough to hold the pork with ice, with a few handfuls of table salt to keep the temperature low. Pack the meat in ice to cool it down.
- If you don't have space and can't place the meat, you will need to cut it to an appropriate size and refrigerate it. If the hammock size is at a premium, some people will use a mill saw or manual hacksaw to cut the spine, as well as the pelvis, separating the pig into two halves. After all, this is a process to the next step, so doing what is most convenient for storage is a good idea.
Method 3 of 3: Processing Pork
Step 1. Remove the pork thighs
Place the top half of the cut, and find where the spine ends, near the meaty thigh (that's pork thigh) in that section. Start with a sharp knife to expose the pork thighs.
- Cut the belly following the contour of the pork thigh towards the spine, cutting towards the narrowest point. Turn your knife and cut straight down, until you hit the tip of the hip bone. At that point, replace your knife with a hacksaw (or your heavier cleaver) and cut through the bone to remove the pork thighs. You'll see this point relatively easily, if your cuts along the spine are well centered.
- Pork thighs are usually cured or smoked, so getting them to size is a good idea, especially if you have fatty pork thighs. The wedge-shaped meat remaining near the spine after removing the pork thighs is a premium cut, perfect for grilling. In fact, the phrase “high with pigs” comes from there.
Step 2. Get rid of the shoulders
To get rid of the shoulders, turn the pork so that the skin is facing up. Pull the limbs up, exposing the “armpits” of the shoulders, and use your knife to the connective tissue underneath. You just need to use your knife to continue cutting towards the muscle, which should be able to pull easily by pulling it back into itself.
The pork shoulder or "butt" is the best pork to cook slowly and makes for a pulled pork. The pork shoulder is a fatty cut, and slow smoking on a low heat will create a perfectly tender pork chop when pierced with a fork
Step 3. Discard the meat and tenderloin
Turn the side back, cut off the top side. From the smallest rib on the narrow end, count up to the third or fourth rib and use a machete to cut the backbone at that point, between the ribs. Remove anything below that line and save the meat for the grinder, or discard the meat. If you have a butcher's electric chainsaw, this will become a lot easier.
- To find the meat, turn the side over, paying attention, looking down the spine from the side where the shoulder is. Find the "eyes" from the waist, which should run along the spine. It's a quarter (could be larger or smaller) a dark piece of meat that runs down the spine, surrounded by a circle of fat. Perpendicular to the ribs, use a machete or saw to cut the ribs apart, separating the tenderloin, which you can divide into strips, starting at the bottom of the ribs, which contains the bacon and the arrangement of the ribs.
- Turn the tenderloin section lengthwise, so you can cut and shape the pork chops, just as you would slices of bread. Start with the knife, cutting through the bone, before returning to the saw. You want them to be the same length, about 2 inches (5 cm) thick, cut through the bone to keep them. This is a tricky thing if you cut it by hand, so use a butcher's saw if possible.
- It's a good idea to clean the bone fragments as thoroughly as possible, so they won't tear the butcher paper in the refrigerator, which can lead to rot. Have a partner double-check each cut with metal-cushioned sandpaper to thin out any burrs and remove excess fat, leaving no more than 3/4 inch in each cut. If there are bone fragments, clean them with cold water as you work.
Step 4. Separate the bacon
The thinner bottom on the sides contains everyone's favorite part of the pork: the ribs and bacon. First of all, it is better to separate the bacon. The bacon is right where the ribs end, and will look a little fatty.
- To separate them, insert your knife under the ribs, cut through the connective tissue and pull the ribs all the way back. Let the cartilage stick to the ribs, and not the bacon. Use it as your cut line. The bacon will come off relatively easily. You can slice the smoked beef, or leave it whole for easier storage, until you're ready to do something with it.
- Leave the ribs whole, or separate them into multiple ribs if you prefer. Leaving it intact is more common.
Step 5. Remove the collarbone and grind some sausages
Leftover meat is usually best for grinding into sausages. If you have a meat grinder, you can grind pork to make sausages or ground pork. It is best to refreeze the meat before grinding, as colder meats are usually ground more uniformly.
Slice evenly with the bone along the neck to skin the meat and separate the bones. It doesn't have to be super clean, because the meat will be ground. Cut evenly with the bone along the neck to skin the meat and separate the bones. It doesn't have to be very clean, because the meat will be ground
Step 6. Store the meat properly
As soon as you set the portion of the pork, wrapping it neatly using clean butcher's paper is important, labeling the cut name and date using a marker. You can put the meat that you will use immediately in the refrigerator and put the rest in the freezer. Usually there will be a lot of meat, so immediately freezing most of the meat is more common.
