Though I've been in the restaurant business my whole adult life I had never seen a whole animal carcass broken down into its primal and sub primal groups before. Until last Saturday. There is a Charcuterie shop in Napa Ca. called the Fatted Calf that gives classes in whole hog butchery as well as sausage and salumi making. It was a small class of ten. The instructors were very knowledgeable and kept the class moving with good humor. They say repetition is the best teacher and one class does not a good butcher make, but having a bit of insight into where all these different parts come from is a good start.
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I've done several hogs and have four ready now, just waiting for the weather to warm up (I know, that sounds odd) When I do it I'll take several pictures and post them on my farm journal thread. -
That's the husband and wife team who do good work. Their names escapes me. Education like that is priceless.Comment
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Love to take a class like that. Will probably never have the opportunity to break down a whole hog or steer but it does fascinate me. I always hang in the butcher shop and ask nosey questions
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This book may be of interest if you can't get round to live. Has a CD with 800 slides on "how to", in addition to all the great info in the text. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/16...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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I agree with overeasy, I strongly recommend this to any carnivore if you have the chance. I butcher my deer harvests every year, the knowledge was handed down to me and i plan on teaching it to my son and daughter as well. Gives me an added appreciation for taking an animal. Doing it right takes time and effort, so when I release that arrow or pull the trigger...the real work begins. Skinning, cleaning, cooling, hanging, aging, boning, cuting, pacakging, grinding. It' a process. I can appreciate the guys who do steer, hogs, moose, elk...much bigger animals than a whitetail deer.Comment
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For those interested in a class, I attended a pig harvest with Farmstead Meatsmith. He mostly does them in the PNW, but does occasionally travel. The harvest I attended was in Zillah, WA at an orchard of a mead maker. The host was generous to let us from out of town camp out and invited us to supper. I attended as an observer, however he does have spots for hands on for those who might otherwise never have the opportunity to do their own.Comment
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I've Been Arround Butchering and Meat Cutting Ever Since I Was In Knee Pantsâ—ï¸ Probably the Legs Were Worn Offâ“ I Think This Should Be a Mandatory Requirement for High School Graduationâ—ï¸ Both the Boys and Girls Need to Be Required to Attendâ€¼ï¸ A Little Less "Phsyco Babble" and a Little More Practical Experience Would Be Of Benefit to Allâ€¼ï¸ In My Opinion a Practical Education of What We Carnivoire's Are and What Dead Is, I Think We Might Have Fewer School Shootingsâ“ From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, DanComment
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Bon Appetite has some great videos on YouTube of breaking down a half a hog, half a steer and I even think a goat.Comment
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