Ordering pork

mainly_a_lurker · December 26, 2010, 12:08:16 PM

Hi everyone,

It's time for me to order some more pork - I always get 1/2 a pig from a local farmer and re-order once I start to run out. The first few times I did this I didn't give them any cutting instructions and just took the what the butcher came up with. Last time (the 1st order since I got my OBS) I gave them some specific instructions to get some better better meat for smoking, but overall I'm not entirely sure what is all possible to ask for or what the best options are.

So, I'd like to put this out to the group here: What instructions do you give to your butcher to get the best cuts?

I'd like to try making some sausage and bacon this time, which I haven't done before, but I'm not sure what exactly I need to ask for.

Thanks!

classicrockgriller · December 26, 2010, 03:01:18 PM

Here's a link that will help show what you can get.

http://www.askthemeatman.com/hog_cuts_interactive_chart.htm

Here is another nice bit of info.

http://flashweb.com/blog/2008/09/pig-cut-chart-poster.html

Caribou · December 26, 2010, 03:35:46 PM

Hi Lurker,
If I was ordering a side of pork with smoking in mind I would try to keep my pig in larger cuts: the loin, the ham, shoulders, ribs and belly.
And I wouldn't have them make any of it into smoked ham or bacon or sausage (smoked or fresh) because those are all great projects to do in your smoker.
There will be plenty in the form of ground pork that you can make your sausage from.
Carolyn

mainly_a_lurker · December 27, 2010, 07:09:48 AM

Thanks CRG and Caribou.

CRG - those links have a lot of good info in them. Exactly what I was looking for.

mjdeez · January 05, 2011, 01:34:21 PM

I just picked up my second side of pig in about a year and a half. I use any available cut sheet online as a guide when I'm asking the farmer for the cuts. Here's what I used last time, but don't limit yourself to this, there's a lot on the animal that doesn't show up on the cut sheet: http://hiddenhillsfarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pig-Sheet-April-2010.pdf

The farmer uses a reputable slaughterhouse who uses a fantastic smoke house. So even though I've made my own bacon that came out pretty well, I'd rather eat this guy's bacon. I got it unsliced this time, cut into 1.5 lb sections. Unsliced should stay better longer in the freezer.

Cuts: I get two fresh hams (not smoked), the ham hocks, a boston butt (pork shoulder), possibly another shoulder roast but i'm not sure, a small loin roast (the rest of the loin I got made into pork chops, 1" thick), pork tenderloin, ribs (spare ribs, as baby back would be the ribs in the chops, but keep in mind if you get a belly cut like bacon, you're getting not-so-meaty spare ribs),

Don't forget to ask for the back fat, leaf fat if you can get it, and the jowls. I also got some rendered lard while i was at it.

I really like this guy's sweet italian sausage so i get all my ground stuff made into that. My choice is one of the following for ground: Sweet, hot, or breakfast sausge, pork roll, or plain ground. I can only choose one per side. :-(

Vac pack is extra but worth it in my opinion. The extra 10 cents a lb or so will save money vs losing meat to freezer burn.

That's pretty much it. Get the organ meat if you want it, or shin bones to make broth. I do that when I get a side of beef.

TestRocket · January 05, 2011, 02:37:42 PM

Some great info here! Bookmarked Thanks! ;D

hal4uk · January 05, 2011, 02:39:28 PM

I'll tell ya something I'd like to try (never done this --- just an experiment idea)...
I'd like to get the loin cut off small, such that there was a heckuva-a-bunch-o-meat left on the loin ribs.

Is that crazy? Is there connective tissue or anything that would prevent this from making any sense?
Anybody ever tried it?

BuyLowSellHigh · January 05, 2011, 05:20:12 PM

No need to cut any of it off at all if you don't want to. If you have a butcher (maybe even a decent grocer that still cuts meats) you can get a whole bone-in pork loin - the precursor to loin chops or the old pork crown roast. The there was Ronbeaux's 1/4 pig loin section that went aft beyond the loin.

hal4uk · January 05, 2011, 07:08:39 PM

Quote from: BuyLowSellHigh on January 05, 2011, 05:20:12 PM
No need to cut any of it off at all if you don't want to. If you have a butcher (maybe even a decent grocer that still cuts meats) you can get a whole bone-in pork loin - the precursor to loin chops or the old pork crown roast. The there was Ronbeaux's 1/4 pig loin section that went aft beyond the loin.

Yup --- I've seen the bone-in loins, but not lately -- not since I thought of this...
But, if I had one, I'm just wondering what it would be like to cut it so that a big layer (1.5"?) was left on the ribs.
I don't want to leave the whole loin on. I'm just imagining crazy-meaty ribs...
It's not like the loin part would go to waste --- just slice into smaller chops...
Just wonder if anyone ever tried this?

Don't mean to hijack here -- the question was about cutting ideas...
(this is just a crazy one of mine).

goblism · January 12, 2011, 04:09:43 PM

When we butcher pigs we usually cut it so there is a little extra meat on the ribs for the loin. But on the spare ribs we cut close to the ribs...as much as we love ribs we love bacon just as much!

I wouldn't cut them too meat though, if we do 1/2"-1" of loin left on the ribs it seems like too much, we prefer to leave around 1/2" or slightly less on the ribs, just peel the loin back like normal but don't cut as often.