I had forgot how much work it was to butcher a hog. Much less two.

[SemperFiDawg]

Got 2 of these Sat. from a local farmer. He raises them on cull peanuts and it makes all the difference in world in how they taste.

I had forgot how much work it was. It's been 2 years since I did it and I had help then. This time I was alone and I worked 36 hours straight to get them cleaned, boned and butchered. I finally got the major stuff done yesterday afternoon and then slept for 15 hours. I hadn't pulled an all nighter in a long time, a loooong time, and I'm pretty sure the last time involved Tequila and a woman and I'm too old for all 3 now.


Didn't have a decent way to scald and remove the hair so I just skinned them.



If there's a better knife for skinning and boning a pig or deer than the 6$ Rada Cutlery knife I have yet to find it in 54 years.


A lot of people turn their nose up at this but I grew up on Brunswick Stew made from hog head and souse meat and I prize these like folks pride a nice set of horns off a big buck.


Boiled and picked for the stew


Ground the sausage today when I got in from work using hank for casings. There is no option on that as far as I'm concerned.


Cooked up a few links for supper. I split them open so they would get good and done on the griddle and let me tell you, IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.



I've still got to cure out the hams, bacon, hocks, and neck/back bones then throw them in the smokehouse. Will post pics as it goes along.

 

[velvet tines]

cool. that's a whole lotta work, but so worth it.

 

[georgia_home]

All that looking awesome! Nice work.

and agree on the all nighters. Getting old ***stinks***!

 

[trad bow]

Too much work for this old wore out body to do anymore but I have done more than my share in the past. Did the 55 gallon drum for years scalding them and later in my father’s processing plant. Salted and smoked quite a few along the way.

 

[the Lackster]

An art that is fading to fast. Glad to see it still kicking around here.

 

[twoheartedale]

I brine mine for 2 days makes for a nice break, but mine are wild hogs. Way to go. It's hard work for sure.

 

[SemperFiDawg]

I had 62 pounds of sausage when it was all said and done.

 

[Redbow]

Man you done good. I well remember the hog killings when I was growing up. My Grandma always cooked us some fresh backbone meat that night for supper. My Aunt fed us hog brains and eggs the very next morning with home baked biscuits, fresh sausage, home canned pear preserves or molasses with the meal. Good stuff. You will eat well for quite some time now.

My Grandma made the best souse meat I ever ate.

 

[greg j]

Nest time ask the Forum for a volunteer or two, you would probably have got a few to help you. That is a lot of work for one man. I've helped my uncles when i was a lad. Too many years ago to remember all the details but i know it was a lot of work. They had me holding the pan to catch the blood for making "blood sausage" and help with the scalding.

 

[SemperFiDawg]

Man you done good. I well remember the hog killings when I was growing up. My Grandma always cooked us some fresh backbone meat that night for supper. My Aunt fed us hog brains and eggs the very next morning with home baked biscuits, fresh sausage, home canned pear preserves or molasses with the meal. Good stuff. You will eat well for quite some time now.

My Grandma made the best souse meat I ever ate.

You wouldn’t by chance have her recipe would you?

 

[Redbow]

You wouldn’t by chance have her recipe would you?

I sure wish I did my friend. When Grandma died in 1964 she took most of her recipe's with her, they were in her head lots of good eating was gone. My Mom often spoke about her Mother's recipe's and how she wished she had wrote a bunch of them down. I wish she had as well.

 

[SemperFiDawg]

Nest time ask the Forum for a volunteer or two, you would probably have got a few to help you. That is a lot of work for one man. I've helped my uncles when i was a lad. Too many years ago to remember all the details but i know it was a lot of work. They had me holding the pan to catch the blood for making "blood sausage" and help with the scalding.

I couldn’t do the blood sausage, chittlins, lard or cracklings. That takes another 2-4 people. My biggest regret is the inability to do the cracklins. There ain’t nothing better than crackin corn bread.

 

[OleCountryBoy]

Looks like a job well done, we did this when I was a kid 40+ years ago, I remember going to my uncles farm in Wing, Alabama, picking out the pig and the whole process, a lot of work for sure! Now I just run up to Publix.

 

[TJay]

That is an awful lot of work for one man. Kudos!

 

[Dbender]

Where did you get your casings from?

 

[antharper]

Yes sir some fine eating in your future ! Nice work , and you mentioned the cull peanuts . I’ve got a freezer full of wild pork that’s been eating cull peanuts and you are correct , makes a ton of difference

 

[SemperFiDawg]

Where did you get your casings from?

We have a local place that markets and sells their own pork and it's very good. They will sell seasoning and casings (hank or fiber) to the public. It's Lords in Dexter, Georgia. They make a good sausage and will sell you a bag of seasoning that's enough to do 100 lbs of sausage for $9. You can't buy and mix your own seasoning for that.

 

[Son]

Labor intense for sure. We don't take that much time with the wild ones. Hang by the head, cut the hide in strips with a curved blade roofing/carpet knife. Pull hide off with catfish skinners. Extra knife work is needed in some areas.
You did an awesome job.

 

[twoheartedale]

We have a local place that markets and sells their own pork and it's very good. They will sell seasoning and casings (hank or fiber) to the public. It's Lords in Dexter, Georgia. They make a good sausage and will sell you a bag of seasoning that's enough to do 100 lbs of sausage for $9. You can't buy and mix your own seasoning for that.

You ever use Leggs? I used the mild and the spicey and WOW! It was great!! I made all bulk sausage only because I don't have the proper set up for links.

 

[SemperFiDawg]

You ever use Leggs? I used the mild and the spicey and WOW! It was great!! I made all bulk sausage only because I don't have the proper set up for links.

That's what it is, Leggs.'s bulk form. I've tried a lot of seasonings over the years, and it's far and away the best to me.