Tips for buying a whole hog?


 
Wonderful, Josh. I'm telling you, Berk loin in practically like beef rib-eye--finely marbled, full-flavored. It is my favorite pig and I wish I could get piglets here.

Slaughtering off-site isn't easily arranged anymore so the three crosses we did a few weeks ago, another the night before last, we slaughtered here--hung and bled out, then immediately cut large, chilled in ice, then wrapped and into freezers. They take a while to freeze so when very cold then next day but not yet frozen, I pulled all the pieces for butchering, cut and re-wrapped for the freezer, and there they await. Not Berk but better than anything else next to it.

You will love Berk belly. Great bacon, it confits very well, and smoke-roasted with a finish in hot lard to crisp the edges (leaving the insides succulent) is one of my favorite approaches for belly--and with Berk it's a dream.

Let us know how the rest of the pig goes!
 
Two parts:

Brian,

I found the farmer off this website. Eat Wild It took some callng to find one in my area, but I actually found two farmers with Berkshire pigs.

I went with Paul Muller of Muller Lane Farm. Nice guy and easy to work with.

Kevin,

I have already smoked my bellies up to 150. I have a recipe for confit and I do belive belly is one of the things they recomend it for. Without looking it up (since it is at home and I'm not) is it too late to do that since I've already smoked it to this point?

I'm holding out high hopes for the rest of the pig and if the intial trial says anything it will be as kevin put it "a dream". It makes me want to cry to think what commercial farmers have bred the modern pig into when compared to the old stock
icon_frown.gif


I'll keep you all posted on ther results of the rest of the pig. I will figure out where the best place is but I need to post a picture of this bacon I made.. it's unreal.

Josh
 
I took the loin as chops so that won't be an option, but that is something that looks good to me. I've made canadian bacon from the loin and really liked it so I'll have to give that a shot.
 
You can't make confit if it's been cooked already but you can reheat/finish by heating/cooking chunks of the belly in hot lard. The edges crisp, the insides become soft and succulent. With a Berk in particular this is superb.
 
Kevin,

I forgot that I have a confit recipe for belly. The book I have recommends confit for duck legs, pork loin, and belly. I will have to remember this next time I get a pig, which it seems will surely happen.

Josh
 
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