Sunday, February 22, 2009

What We Did Saturday

Yesterday I teased you all with this picture, and asked you to guess what we were doing with that barrel. Several of you thought about the fact that we are country folks and made some really good guesses, including smoking meat or boiling fat.

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In actuality, we were boiling water. Needed lots of hot boiling water to scrape the hog Pete killed. More pictures and commentary follow. This may not be something for the extremely tenderhearted or squeamish although I didn't post any of the extremely graphic shots.

Hannah documented the whole thing with her digital camera as this is becoming a lost art.

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This is the sow we killed. She's never took when we tried to breed her, so her days were numbered.

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Robert McGallion and Pete cutting out a hole in the hog pen so they can remove the hog.

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They placed her on a sheet of plywood and pulled her over near the fire hole with the tractor.

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Pete pours a couple of pots of boiling water over the snout and Robert begins scrapping the hair off.

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Robert is the teacher. Here Pete and Bubba begin practicing what they were shown and told.

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Pete's nephew, Dusty, is here now and helping Bubba. He plans to be butchering a hog of his own soon and wanted to learn. Two young men save the old codgers a lot of bending and squatting. ;o)

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One side is almost complete. Grab the ears and the feet, flip it over and do the other side.

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Nothing is wasted. Here Duck even scrapes and cleans the tail.

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Another nephew, Benny's son David, rides up on the four wheeler and he gets in on the action as well. Special care is given to cleaning the feet. Toe nails are popped off.

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Don't forget her belly!

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Make a handy-dandy holder out of the tendon on the back of the hind feet.

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The hog is dragged on the board to under the A-frame. The hind feet are put on the hook and it is lifted by come-a-longs.

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The head is cut off. The front feet. And then it is gutted and cleaned inside.

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Here, Bubba and Bug are observing from the back of the truck.

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A shot of them actually working on it.

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The finished project. The carcass is off to be processed. Smoked hocks and bacon. Pork chops. And lots of sausage.

The head, the heart and the feet will be boiled down one day soon and Pete and Robert will make hogs head cheese out of it. They eat it. I don't.

When it is processed, the excess skin and fat will be saved for us. One day Pete will take it out and cut it in small pieces. He'll then boil it to render out the fat for frying and this will also make some tasty cracklings for snacking and cornbread.

Hope you enjoyed your Saturday in Caneyhead.

Barbara

21 comments:

  1. thanks for telling us about boiling water, Barbara; I couldn't look at the pictures of read the rest of the article; see I really am such a city girl

    betty

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  2. All this looks familiar to me. Except my grandparents and I also used the old black cast iron washpots to heat the water then cook the lard and cracklings in. The head was used to make what was called press meat. I think it has a fancy name now. I never liked it either. I never made it myself. MY X MIL used to use the head plus some chickens plus other things to make brunswick stew which I did like. At the age I am now I doubt if I would have the stomach to do all that. That was a long time ago. There will be some mighty good eating from that. Helen

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  3. It was interesting, but I have trouble even touching meat that I'm surprised I'm not a vegetarian, lol. Oh boy!

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  4. Oh wow, I can't believe all this time I was never a follower. Look what I've been missing! Looks like it was alot of work getting that hog ready for the butcher!

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  5. Cliff skins the hogs we butcher, since that's how the butcher shop did it where he worked for years. He can skin a hog in about five minutes.

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  6. Skimmed over the pictures - like the meat on my plate and the pig in the field, but don't want to know about the process that leads from one to the other. However, it does happen, so thanks for sharing the images for those interested.

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  7. Excellent, Barbara! I've seen this done and your family certainly has a fine knack for not wasting this nourishment. There may come a time when many will wish they had such skills, not impossible that our civilization could collapse and we become hunter/gatherers again. I'm here really to thank you most sincerely for the prayers and very fine advice. I took it. Blessings on you and all you love.

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  8. ACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCcck. Couldn't we all eat bean burgers & sing camp fire songs instead?
    :-)

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  9. Oh my goodness..... I love my ham, lol... I was getting through the pictures, got to the one where the pig was hanging and thought ok I feel better and then saw the head in the back of the pickup, lol....
    When I was ten or so we went to my grandparents farm in North Carolina and dad says remember the pig you were feeding last time, well that is what we are eating.... your pictures filled in the gaps that I was missing to that announcement, lol...
    Enjoy!! :)

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  10. Job well done Barbara! Ted Nugent would be proud...lol... I'm going to go grab some breakfast now. Eggs with extra bacon and ham... Talk to you soon.

    Mik

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  11. Very interesting I enjoyed your pictures. My Pappaw use to raise pigs. My grand mother would cook the hogs head in the oven and they would eat it. Dont think I ever did. Pappaw liked srambled hogd brain and eggs.
    Terrie

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  12. My grandfather and uncle raised pigs. I had never seen this though since they always sent them off to market by the time I was around.

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  13. Hi Barb...wow...what a welcome back LOL..my computer has been down...all is well now...and hm..well...ahhh...I kinda sorta saw something like this once when we visited hubby's parents in Alabama...I didn't stick around long...and I sure didn't take any pictures LOL...but then I didn't have a computer to share on then either LOL..maybe was a good thing...all I can say...after it is all said and done...the meat...chitlins..and cheese...were fine eating LOLOL...just didn't think about the process whereby we got them LOLOL...thanks for sharing...wow is all I can say...hugs..Ora

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  14. Barbara, Hope you see this -- I selected you for an "Inspirational Award". Please go by my journal and pick it up, well deserved! God Bless!

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  15. Now that is just about as country as you can get Barbara!!! Lord a mercy I couldnt do it, but glad someone can. I just dont have the stomach for it. I know she will be delicious though! ;) Hugs, Kelly

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  16. I think I kinda have some city in me like Bettie but I was able to look at all the pictures and enjoy it briefly... my husband does the deer each year when he goes hunting but it has been a few years....
    sometimes we send it out to be prepared too. I have the deer head staring at me in the family room now to remind me of his hunting days. I named it Lucy. LOL but it's really a boy. Have a great weekend! Love the pictures!!
    Lisa

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  17. You'd be proud of me Barbara- I looked at all the pictures! Michael has dressed his own before too, but I never have seen it done yet. I've had fresh hog and chicken before, and there is nothing like it, but I was raised city before I grew into a red neck girl, and I really MUST stop naming all out livestock "pets"! God Bless and thanks for the lesson. Things get any tighter around here, I may have to learn up close and personal ;-0 Love~

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  18. Yum! Fresh bacon and ham and cracklin' bread. I LOVE cracklin' bread! Anyone who has never had freshly smoked bacon has no idea how much better it is than the stuff we buy in the stores!

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  19. BARBARA, I CERTAINLY REMEMBER BUTCHERING TIME EVEN WHEN A SMALL KID. DAD INSISTED EVERY HAIR BE SCRAPED OFF.
    THEN LATER WHEN CRACKLINS WERE BUBBLING IN THE HUGE SKILLET OVER THE WOOD STOVE TOP AND FOR THIS OCCASION WE USED THE HICKORY WOOD. WE KIDS WERE ANXIOUS TO EAT THOSE CRACKLINS.
    HAVE BEEN A LIVER LOVER SINCE YOUTH. DON'T FORGET THE ONIONS. THE RED BACON GREASE GRAVY WAS GREAT TO USE WITH THE LIVER, BLACK PEPPER AND A SHAKE OF GARLIC POWDER.
    SHALL WE GO EAT ? sam

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  20. Wow we did this when i lived in Holland settlement as a child. I was telling someone i work with the other day about the chickens we would slaughter for dinner and how Free Range Chicken was neccessary before it was 'Cool'.
    "That old rooster he didn't go to heaven he went into a pot" to quote a childhood friend from Honey Island. Great Pics Barbara
    Laters Lloyd

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So glad you stopped by! Come 'round any time. ~ Barbara

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