Pigs: Skin and Bones

I'm going to have a hard time getting out of bed tomorrow.

We roasted a half-pig in the smokehouse for the Fourth of July, and the other half has been hanging ever since. Things have been busy this past week, and the second half had not been processed. Mr. Farmer just didn't have time, so the job fell to me.  

Men generally handle the skinning around here. They skin deer and pigs and sometimes various fowl, if they don't feel like dealing with feathers. We have a friend who can dress and skin a deer in under a half an hour. He can do it in twenty minutes if it is hung at the right height and his knives are sharp. I guess this is a skill that comes from practice, however. Today I learned that skinning is HARD WORK.

I've never skinned anything before, and skinning, like butchering, can't really be learned from books. Sure, the background helps, but you never really get it until someone puts a knife in your hand and says, "Go to it!" So I did. I put the half-pig on the counter and started trying to peel away the skin. The edges had sealed to the fat as they dried, and it was hard to get the angle right even to get it started. I had to turn it several times and contort my body in ways I didn't know I could just to get the knife in where I needed it. In short, it was a nightmare.

Nearly an hour later, the skin was off and I could get to butchering. I boned the entire thing, including a very tricky shoulder blade. Mr. Farmer said I did nice work, but it sure felt like a lot of exertion for only a few pounds of meat! My neck aches, my back is burning, and I feel like I could go to bed now!

Well, now it is time for a prophylactic dose of Aleve. Mr. Farmer is going to reward me by cooking the remaining fresh ham on the grill tomorrow. I can't wait!

Cooking: The Christmas Ham

Our Christmas ham this year was our own. We raised it, slaughtered it, butchered it, cured it, and smoked it ourselves. But this post isn't about how this ham came to be preserved and flavored- it is about how it came to be consumed.

A couple years ago I saw a ham special by Alton Brown of "Good Eats" fame. He prepared what he referred to as a "country ham," which is a ham that is dry-cured then smoked. Country ham is drier and saltier than "city ham," which is wet-cured (brined, essentially). It requires special handling, or you get a stringy, dry, pork-jerky instead of a tasty, salty-sweet pork treat.

We soaked the ham for a couple days. Mr. Brown's suggestion of using a cooler with a drain plug was brilliant. That way you can change the water easily- just let the old water out and put new water in- No Lifting! We left the hock attached while soaking, while he suggested it be removed first. As far as I can tell, it didn't make a difference.

From that point you cook it like normal... oh, wait, no. Instead of just plopping it in a roaster pan (or in our case, our handy-dandy portable roaster oven- the same one we cooked down our maple syrup in), you plop it in a roaster pan with a bunch of Dr. Pepper! Alton's recipe called for a liter of soda, but our ham was big, so we got a 2-liter bottle. Sadly, even that was not enough to half-cover the ham as prescribed by the recipe. What to do? Well, Mr. Farmer is no slouch when it comes to food. He claims that he might even have a thing or two to teach Alton Brown. So, naturally, he came up with a solution: Why not cook a maple-cured ham in maple syrup? We still had a quart or so in the fridge, and another half-gallon unopened on the shelf from the last sugaring. The trees will start running again in just a few months, so we had more than enough on hand to splurge a bit on our Christmas ham. Two liters of Dr. Pepper and a quart or so of homemade maple syrup almost half-covered the bottom of the ham.

As you can probably guess, the ham was amazing. Would I be writing a blog post about it if it wasn't? Every time Mr. Farmer makes a ham (or bacon) I always say the same thing, "Wow, Honey, I think you really got the process down now. This is the best ham (or bacon) yet!" Somehow each one is still even better than the last. I can't wait for the next one!

(PS - I almost forgot - 400 degrees for half an hour, then 15 minutes per pound at 350 for the rest of the time. Cook the side dishes after it is out of the oven so that it can rest. Taa Daa.)

Cooking: Scrapple

3  pounds processed pork parts
4  quarts broth
3  tbsp salt
4  tsp black pepper
2  tsp white pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
2  tsp rubbed sage
1  tsp ground savory
2  tsp granulated onion
3  tsp marjoram
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3  cups corn meal
1  cup buckwheat flour


Making scrapple is actually more process than ingredients. The list of seasonings above, however, is the closest to the scrapple I remember in my youth. I am extremely proud of Mr. Farmer for working it out. The process usually takes us several days to complete.

The first step to making scrapple is the cooking of the first two ingredients: cooked pig parts and broth. Pork liver, tongue, etc. (basically anything you don't want to keep for the dogs - some people use snouts and such, but dogs LOVE those, so we don't) as well as bones with any meat left on them are boiled for hours and hours (sometimes we do this overnight) until fully cooked and meat is easily removed from the bones. The broth is strained off and put away to cool. The meat is sorted and separated to remove cartilage and excessive fat, then ground through a fine food mill.

When you're ready to cook, bring the broth and spices up to a near boil. Add the corn meal and the flour slowly. Once that is completely combined and smooth, add 3 pounds of the prepared meat. Simmer the scrapple low to medium low until the corn meal is soft and the flour is indistinguishable from the meat (they are about the same color, so we are talking about texture here). A slight increase in heat at the very end may be helpful. The mix is ready when a wooden or plastic spoon stands up on its own in the mixture.

Did you think I was kidding?

Once the mixture is fully cooked, pour into loaf pans and cool at least a full day (2 is better). Scrapple handles best when frozen and sliced. Fry it up - Thin and Crispy or Thick and Squishy - you decide.

Pigs: Good Riddance

Back in the spring we purchased a number of pigs to flip. We got a good deal on them, and after a short visit, we resold them for about twice what we paid for them. We kept two gals from that purchase: one we had collected a deposit on for a freezer pig, and the other we promised to a local for a Labor Day picnic.
These two are the ones we refer to as the Houdini Sisters. When we had them in dog crates, they got out while we were away (click here for full story). When we tried to move them up with the breeders on the Beta Site, they got out of their pen and in with the breeders (full story), then later out into the yard. I guess we should have suspected they would be trouble. After all, they were related to Scooter, the precocious little runt piglet, who also had a penchant for escape (full story). So, to keep an eye on them, we moved them back to the house and put them on lock-down. They no longer escaped, but they took forever to grow!

At first we thought they were hungry. We fed them as much as and more than we fed the breeders. Tiffany needs only  a maintenance diet, and Mamas and Wilma need a bit more than that because they are nursing. When the Sisters failed to thrive, we wormed them more than once and gave them extra goodies from the dumpster. Still they cried and oinked and grunted almost constantly (a problem since they really shouldn't be at the house at all), and only put on a bare amount of weight. We were throwing away money feeding these two. It was time to cut our losses.

We had a big ham that we were going to cook for an end-of-summer picnic with our Pig Partner and family on Labor Day, but the buyer for the Labor Day Pig backed out. One thing led to another, and the two family picnic quickly turned in an event. A neighbor who complained about the pigs in our yard was quickly turned around when the person hearing the complaint responded, "The pig is at the house so that it can be served at the Labor Day Picnic. You're coming, aren't you?" The emails started flying, the phone started ringing, and the question, "What should I bring?" was handled over and over. Houdini Sister Number One was put down and dressed for whole roasting in the smokehouse. (Sister Number Two will be served at our Pig Partner's "Thanks For Helping Me Move" barbecue later.)

I am glad to see those noisy, under-performing pigs go. Our neighbor who put the deposit on the second pig is understanding and will wait for one of the new piglets to fatten for her freezer. The relief of being able to work in the garden without having to tiptoe so those two won't oink and squeal is a joy. I won't miss them at all. Good Riddance!

Cooking: German Ring Bologna

5 lb ground meat
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp #1 prague powder
6 tbsp brown sugar
8 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp granulated onion
4 oz ice water
8 oz red wine

Mix meat and spices and pack into hog casings.

Allow to rest in refrigerator until completely cool and dry.

Smoke at 225 F until internal temperature reaches 165 F.

Dip in boiling water to shrink casings.

Air dry at room temperature, and package.

Bologna Resting In Fridge Before Smoking

Cooking: Kielbasa

We made this recipe with equal parts venison and pork meat/fatback. The result was excellent! It is my understanding, however, that it can also be made with pork and beef or chicken and beef with similar results.

5 lb ground meat (part red meat, part white)
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp #1 prague powder
1 cup cold red wine

Mix the meat and spices and pack into pork casings.

Air dry in refrigerator or in cool smoke 90-100 degrees F (never over 100).

Smoke 160-165 degrees F until internal temperature is 152 F.

Rinse with cool water until 120 F below (to prevent shrinkage).

Age 2-3 hours at room temperature to dry (and allow for color to bloom), then pack.

Kielbasa

Cooking: Hot Italian Sausage

You didn't think I was going to leave you with the Sweet Sausage recipe and not give you the Hot, did you? Of course not. This hot recipe is mild enough for even my sensitive palate and that of Little Miss Farmer, but it has the heat that the boys love and is packed with flavor.

Weighing Spices

Hot Sausage Variation:

25 lb ground pork
1/2 plain table salt (non-iodized)
5 tbsp ground black pepper
1/4 c + 2 tbsp cracked fennel seeds
2 1/2 tbsp coriander
5 tbsp hot hungarian paprika
5 tbsp dried red hot pepper flakes
1 c sugar
2 1/2 c water
2 1/2 tbsp oregano
2 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp winter savory


Once again, we mixed these by hand. Gloves are a good idea with all the hot ingredients.

These are especially good on the grill with nice sweet onions... is it summer yet?

Cooking: Sweet Italian Sausage

Mr. Farmer had a great idea this year: making an entire pig into sausage. Little Miss Farmer would probably name Sweet Italian Sausage as her favorite homemade food (she's 12, so if you ask for her favorite food, she will most likely say, "pizza"). We made 75 pounds of Italian Sausage so far this week in 25 pound batches. Fifty pounds were sweet, and 25 pounds were hot.

In Case You Were Wondering What 50 Pounds of Sausage Looks Like...

Here's the Super-Secret (Nah!) Recipe:

25 lb ground pork
1/2 c plain table salt (not iodized)
5 tbsp ground black pepper
1/4 c + 2 tbsp cracked fennel seeds
2 1/2 tbsp coriander
1 1/4 c sugar
2 1/2 c water
2 1/2 tbsp oregano
2 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp winter savory


We mixed these ingredients by hand, adding one or two at a time and spreading them out over the meat to try to keep it as even as possible. Then we put it through the sausage stuffer into casings. Of course it would be just as delicious as patties or rolls.

NOTE ON SUGAR: We reduced the amount of sugar from last year's recipe, and it is still pretty sweet. If you are using this recipe and are considering adding any other sweet ingredients (fresh green/red bell peppers, fresh sweet onions, sweet paprika), it would be a good idea to decrease the sugar to just 1 cup. This is truly sweet sausage.

NOTE ON SALT: As a habit, we use a reduced amount of salt in our cooking. After all, there is salt on the table, and it can be added later, if needed.

Cooking: Pork Shoulder and Sauerkraut

The traditional New Year's Day Feast in my home is Pork and Sauerkraut. I love a picnic shoulder roast any time, and when pigs are in short supply, the price at the grocery store is generally quite low for pork roasts at New Year's. One day I will do a full post about New Year's Traditions and Superstitions, but I can sum up most of them as this: Whatever happens on January 1 will foreshadow the year ahead. So, in this case, the idea is that you should eat well on the first of the year, and eat rich, fatty foods, to ensure you will not starve in the coming year. Personally, I'll take any excuse to make a pork shoulder...

PREPARE:

About half an hour before cooking, preheat the oven to 450. Do not skip this step. It makes he difference between a nice roast and a so-so roast.

Rinse the shoulder in cool water, pat dry, and place in baking dish or pan, at least 2 inches deep. (Optional) Rub all over with salt, garlic powder, parsley, and rosemary (fresh, if possible). Allow roast to rest until nearly room temperature.

COOK:

Place skin side up on middle rack of the oven. Close the oven door and immediately turn down to 325. NO PEEKING FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR! Cook 40 minutes per pound.

FINISH:

At the beginning of the last hour, remove the roast from the oven and drain off the fat. Reserve it for gravy or au jus. Add sauerkraut to the dish and return to the oven for the final hour.

REST AND SERVE:

Once the internal temperature is 170, remove from the oven and allow to rest at least 15 minutes. This keeps the juices in. Serve with potatoes, or bread and butter. Or BOTH.

2010 Roast Pork Shoulder with Sauerkraut