Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Preparing the pig
• Method 2 of 3: Removing Internal Organs
• Method 3 of 3: Butchering the pork
• Tips

Pigs, both wild and domestic, can be a huge source of meat. The knowledge of raising, preparing and slaughtering a pig correctly will make it possible to fill the refrigerator with meat to the limit for many months. Having the necessary tools, you can learn how to properly cut the carcass without losses and unnecessary residues. See step by step information.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Preparing the pig

1. 1 Get the right equipment. Although the process itself is not very difficult, it is the correct slaughter that is considered the most time consuming step - a pig with an average weight of 250 pounds gives 144 pounds of meat, cut into pieces and ready for sale. This is too much valuable pork to be handled inefficiently. That is why it is necessary to choose the time to purchase good equipment with which you can do everything right, minimizing any possibility of loss and spoilage of meat. After all, we are not talking about a little hare. To butcher a pig, you will need:
   • Sharp blades made of stainless materials with a minimum length of 6 inches
   • Clamp for raznogo and winches, sold in many specialty and sports stores.
   • Reciprocating saw or hacksaw,
   • A large tub or barrel of water that can hold a pig, along with a heat source that can boil the water.
   • Bucket
   • Large, flat surface in the open air, located at waist level - wooden planks on trestles will serve as a good homemade surface
   • Minced meat grinder (optional)
2. 2 Find the right pig. The ideal option for slaughter is a young male pre-neutered before puberty, called a hog, or a young female called a gestating sow. Mostly pigs are slaughtered in late autumn when temperatures begin to drop markedly and animals reach 8-10 months of age and weigh between 180 and 250 pounds. You cannot feed the animal a day before slaughter so that its intestines are empty. Provide access to plenty of fresh and clean drinking water.
   • Older individuals that do not have contact with the female are called boars. Their meat has a pronounced unpleasant odor - this is the result of the production of hormones by the corresponding glands. Old sow meat can smell bad too.
   • If you are butchering a wild boar, you need to immediately remove the genitals and the scent gland near the hind legs to avoid further spoilage of the meat. Some hunters, before proceeding to butchering the entire carcass, cut off some fat and fry it to check for a repulsive smell. You can continue the process anyway, as some people are indifferent to this smell.
3. 3 Try to kill the pig humanely. It doesn't matter if it is farmed or wild, you need to make sure the process starts as carefully as possible. The quick kill method is suitable for this, which involves the immediate draining of blood. This will further improve the taste of the meat. The question of slaughtering pigs by draining blood is constantly discussed.
   • From a moral point of view, it is preferable to use the method of slaughtering a pig with a gun of at least 22 caliber by shooting in the head, so that the animal will die quickly and painlessly. Draw an imaginary line from the base of each ear to the opposite eye and aim for the intersection of these two points. The pig's brain is extremely small, which makes the need for an accurate shot very essential.
   • Many butchers prefer standard slaughter by draining the blood after the first hammer blow, as shooting is a rather difficult process. Most people are convinced that a cut vein in a still living animal allows for a more thorough drain of blood, and in the end the meat turns out to be tastier. In many commercial slaughterhouses, pigs are electrocuted and then killed by cutting the jugular vein. To some, this seems to be an unusually cruel way.
   • In 1978, the United States passed the Humane Cattle Slaughter Act, which prohibits the cruel methods of killing animals such as pigs for commercial purposes. Technically, this only applies to USDA approved properties and is not related to private property. However, some states have issued a regulation stating that livestock can only be trained in such conditions.This forces people to study the regulations for the slaughter of such animals. You can read federal laws here. here.
4. 4 Cut the pig's throat. After killing or shooting a pig, feel for the brisket and drive the knife a few inches higher, making a 2-4 inch incision across the front of the throat. Then insert the knife into this notch and push it 6 inches up at a 45-degree angle to the tail. Turn and pull it out. This is the fastest way to slaughter a pig. The blood should drain immediately.
   • Some people suffer for a long time, looking for the very place with which they can quickly stab the animal. If you are in doubt that you have found it, the main thing is to cut the jugular vein. Someone just cuts deep down the throat - under the chin - and down to the spine. The correct hit will be indicated by the beginning of blood drainage in large volumes.
   • If the pig is still moving, be very careful when moving the carcass. Perhaps you just knocked her off her feet with a shotgun, and you need to cut her throat first before hanging the carcass. Be extremely careful. The animal can move involuntarily, making it dangerous to move with a sharp knife. Turn the pig over on its back and support the front legs with your hands, allowing the helper to use the knife.
5. 5 Hang the pig. Hang the animal after slaughter. To do this, you need to prepare a clamp for different things, reminiscent of a large hanger and used for hanging meat carcasses. Slip the chain over the retainer and attach to the winch, if desired, it can also be attached to the rear of the truck.
   • Begin by threading the hooks on the bottom of the anchor through the pig's legs, sticking them deep enough to support the entire carcass. Now use the winch (or sweat it hard) to lift the carcass and let the blood drain. It is advisable to do this as soon as possible after slaughter. It will take 15-20 minutes for all the blood to drain out of the pig's carcass.
   • If you do not have a miscellaneous anchor, as a substitute, you can make a small incision behind the rear leg tendons and insert a wooden dowel or tube of the same length into it. You can grab the end of the chain and lift the carcass up with your own hands.
   • Barn floors are ideal places for hanging pork carcasses, as well as low-lying sturdy tree branches. Find a comfortable spot as close as possible to where you slaughter, with 250 pounds of dead weight on your hands. If necessary, transfer the pig to a cart to transport it to the blood drain.
   • If you wish to collect blood, use a clean, sterile bucket. Tilt the entire head of the pig towards the bucket to make sure that all the blood is glass. The addition of pork blood to sausages makes them taste great. It is one of the most sought after ingredients in food preparation.
6. 6 Scald the skin with boiling water if you need it. Most butchers are more likely to keep the skins, which contain tasty bacon, fat, and leftovers. The process is not very complicated in comparison with simple skinning. If the skin is needed, then the best way to remove the hair is to immerse the carcass several times in boiling water and scrape the entire skin thoroughly.
   • The most persistent and effective way to heat water is to make a fire in a pit and place a container above it on a refractory grate. It is not necessary to bring the water to a boil, but the temperature should be up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure the process is safe. Gently dip the carcass hanging on the retainer in hot water for 15-20 seconds, and then pull it out.
   • If you don't have a tank outside that can hold a whole pig, keep in mind that some people dip the sacking in boiling water and then wrap the carcass in it for a few minutes to soften the stubble and scrape it off successfully.
   • Boars with very thick bristles will most likely need to trim their hair with special scissors before submerging them in water, as is the case with domestic pigs with softer bristles.
7. 7 Remove hair with a sharp knife. After submerging the mascara in water, place it on a flat work surface and get down to business. As a last resort, a pair of wooden legs with wooden planks and a tarp can serve as a work surface, just like a camping table, if available. Place the pig at waist level. The sharp knife perfectly removes thick hair from the skin.
   • Flip the carcass belly up and begin stripping with a knife, positioning it perpendicular to the pig. Movements in the form of smooth long strokes are made towards oneself. Removing all the hair will take some time and may require several dives. Some may prefer using a small torch to singe off the remaining fur.
   • It is more common to use cup scrapers when preparing carcasses for cutting, but they are incredibly difficult to find. Most people will use a small torch as it is very effective at removing small, inconspicuous hairs.
8. 8 Remove the skin from the pig if you don't want to mess around with removing the hair. If there is not a large enough container for dipping and burning the whole carcass, or you simply do not want to make an effort, then it is quite acceptable to remove the skin and then discard it. Move on to the next step in removing the viscera. It is necessary to carefully walk the entire carcass with a knife to remove the skin.
   • To remove it, you need to make movements with a sharp knife away from yourself, as if picking up the skin. Take your time and try to keep body fat to the maximum. The process can take about 1.5 hours.

Method 2 of 3: Removing Internal Organs

1. 1 Cut out the anus and remove. To begin cutting out the internal organs, make a circular incision in the anus (and penis), 1 to 2 inches deep. Make an incision 2 inches wider than the diameter of the anus to avoid piercing the colon. Grab the ponytail and pull gently, then use a rubber band or cable tie and pinch everything. This closes access to the inside and makes it possible to pull the intestine to the other side when opening the sternum.
   • Some butchers remove offal and intestines first, but it is better to take precautions, as this part of the animal's body is inhabited by bacteria and can transfer them to the meat itself.
   • The hog's testicles must be removed if these steps have not been performed yet. Slip the elastic over them and then cut. It is best to do this as soon as possible after slaughter. To remove the penis, it must be taken away from the body of the animal and cut off with a knife, notching the muscles that go to the tail. Pull it and then throw it away.
2. 2 Cut from sternum to groin. Pinch the skin at the base of the sternum, where the ribs end and the belly begin, and pull as hard as possible towards you. Insert the knife and gently cut down towards the center of the belly between the two rows of nipples. Work with a knife carefully so as not to cut the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. Cut the carcass to the groin.
   • At some point, the force of gravity will work in your favor, and the insides will fall out without your efforts. It's a good idea to have a bucket by your side when you cut open the belly to put all the organs in there. They are quite heavy, so you need to take them out carefully.
3. 3 When you reach the groin area, pull down. The entire contents of the digestive tract, including the bandaged lower intestines, should be easily expelled with little effort on your part. Use a sharp knife to remove rough connective tissue. The kidneys and pancreas are perfectly edible, which is why they are so often saved when carcasses are cut.
   • Some enthusiastic businessmen leave the guts for the preparation of sausages and sausage casings, although the process is laborious and time-consuming.
   • The fatty layer near the kidneys is often stored as lard.You don't need to remove it right away, but you should be extremely careful when pulling out the organs and putting them in a bucket. It can be reached by grasping it and simply pulling it out with your hand.
4. 4 Divide the ribs from the front by sawing them. After removing the internal organs from the peritoneum, you should remove the rest of the viscera. Use a knife to detach the front of the ribs, cutting through the layer of cartilage that connects the sternum. Don't do it with a saw. After cutting the sternum, remove the remaining organs. The heart and liver are usually stored and eaten.
   • Some people prefer to start by cutting along a previously outlined line and move towards the tail, while others prefer to start from a place near the stomach and move towards the head. Do what is most convenient for you.
   • Place the organs to be preserved in a cool place right away. Rinse them thoroughly in cool water and place in the refrigerator wrapped in thick paper. They are stored between 33 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. 5 Separate your head. Insert the knife into the area behind the ears and cut around the neck, focusing on the jaw line. After separating the meat and exposing the bone, you should insert a large knife and cut through the vertebrae with a confident movement.
   • If you want to cut off the head, keeping the cheeks, then cut to the corners of the mouth under the ears, separating the meat. Pork cheeks make delicious bacon, but some people prefer to leave the head intact and make a jelly from it.
   • You can trim your legs to the fold line by simply lifting the hooves up. Use a hacksaw or saber knife to cut through the joints and remove the leg with hooves.
6. 6 Flush the cavity with water. Small hairs are very sticky when cutting pork carcasses. They cling to fat and are hard to find afterwards. Let the meat lie down for a day after gutting, then rinse well again with clean water, let it dry and only then put it in the refrigerator.
7. 7 Chill the carcass for at least 24 hours before cutting. Dry the meat a little. Pork should be kept between 30 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit all day. The chiller is the easiest way to chill meat, or butcher your pig during the cooler months of the year when you can do this in the garage.
   • Cutting room temperature meat into good pieces is almost impossible. It is much easier to cut pork into quality pieces if it is chilled.
   • You can make ice pickle by filling a large pork container with ice and adding a few handfuls of salt. Cover the carcass with ice to cool.
   • If you don't have the necessary space or the ability to let the meat lie down, you should cut the carcass into several pieces that can fit in a cool place. If space is the problem, use a hacksaw or sawmill to cut the carcass in half along the backbone and hipbone. In any case, this will be the next step. And this method can be used whenever it is convenient for storage.

Method 3 of 3: Butchering the pork

1. 1 Separate the hams. Lay one half cut side up, the ham being the meaty part of the thigh. Cut it out with a sharp boning knife.
   • Trim the meat off the belly, following the contour of the ham back to the spine and cutting carefully at the narrowest point. Turn the knife and cut straight down until you reach the top of your hipbone. Now change the knife to a hacksaw (or a heavier large carving knife) and cut through the bone to pull out the ham. You can easily find this place if the initial incision is made correctly along the spine.
   • The hams are usually boiled or smoked, so it is very good when the hams are cut correctly, especially if they are fatty. The wedge-shaped cuts of meat along the vertebrae left over from the cutting out of the ham are superior quality cuts, great for roast beefs. Hence the expression "live happily ever after."
2. 2 Separate the scapula. To do this, flip a portion of the pig skin side up.Pull the limbs upward to access the armpit and cut the connective tissue. The knife will have to be used until you reach an articulation, which then easily breaks with a pulling motion.
   • The pork shoulder or "neck edge" is the best part of pork for slow cooking and boiling. This piece is very fatty, which becomes tender when smoked slowly and easily separates with a fork.
3. 3 Cut off the chops and loin. Flip the side over and cut at the top. From the smallest rib at the narrowest part of the sternum, count the third or fourth rib and take a cleaver to cut through the bones in that area. Cut out anything below this line and save the meat for the grinder, setting it aside. In the presence of an electric meat grinder, the process is facilitated.
   • To find the meat for the chops, turn the carcass on its side and examine it closely, looking down the spine from the side where the shoulder blades were. You will find the sirloin that runs along the spine. These are thin strips of dark meat that run from the lower back near the spine and are surrounded by a layer of fat. Insert a cleaver or saw perpendicular to the ribs and cut them, separating the tenderloin that will go on the chops from the bottom of the ribs. This part also contains a lot of bacon and loin.
   • Rotate the tenderloin section lengthwise so you can cut into slices like slicing bread and shape the chops. Start cutting through the bones with a knife, and then take the saw again. If you want to get even chunks no more than 2 inches thick, then cut with bone. It is difficult to do this by hand, so take a saber knife or a butcher's saw as an assistant.
   • It would be nice to get rid of sharp chips on the bones as much as possible, so that when stored in the refrigerator, they do not cut the wrapping paper and do not create conditions for spoiling the meat. Have an assistant stand behind your back and work each piece on a metal surface, trimming off any irregularities and excess fat. Allow less than ¾ inch of fat on each chop. If they have splinters on them. Rinse the chunks with cool water, cleaning the meat as much as possible.
4. 4 Separate the brisket. The lower, thinner part of the section contains everyone's favorite pork: the loin on the ribs. It is best to first cut the brisket where the ribs end. It should be quite greasy.
   • To cut it, take a knife and insert it into the hypochondrium, cutting the binder flesh and moving the ribs to the side. Cut off the brisket and leave the cartilage. This line will then be your guide. It should be easy. The brisket can be sliced ​​or left in one piece for easy storage until you decide to do something with it.
   • The rib plate can be left intact or divided into parts. More often the plate is left intact.
5. 5 Cut out the neck bone and roll the meat onto the sausage. The remaining single pieces of meat are usually well preserved for further grinding into sausages. If you have a meat grinder, you can turn the meat into a sausage or just make minced pork for different purposes. Before rolling the minced meat, it is better to cool the meat again, so it is easier to grind.
   • The neck meat cut with the bone must be separated from it. It is not necessary to cut out all the veins, since these pieces will still go to the meat grinder.
6. 6 Store meat properly. After dividing it into pieces, each must be wrapped in clean meat wrapping paper, signing the name of the piece and the date with a marker. The meat that you plan to use right away can be stored in the refrigerator, the rest must be put in the freezer. Since the volume is large, it is more correct to put everything in the freezer at once.
   • It would be nice to wrap the meat in two layers of paper, as it is susceptible to burns and spoilage from the cold. This is especially true for large pieces with sharp bones that tear the packaging.

Tips

• Be careful when approaching a pig.Convulsions and screeching are typical of these animals. In death throes, they are very dangerous, especially large individuals.