633508 Thu Jul 02 13:46:22 -0700 2009 19 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 4825280 I'm about to split a half hog with a relative....anyone know some good sources? So far, I'm leaning towards Beef Connections, yes, for pig. The farmer (Robert Huber) has been super helpful in answering my questions and raises hormone-free, quality feed, nice pen, pigs that are at least 50% Berkshire. Ends up being about $300 for a whole pig, cut to my specifications. Just curious about the experiences other CH'ers have had. Thu Jul 02 13:46:22 -0700 2009 157056 grandgourmand 1 4825676 The very best parts of your hog are beyond the chops and roasts. How far will BF process the hog? Will they cure your bacon, hams, hocks, etc. and arrange for smoking? Will they do sausage to your specs? There are many things to do with the liver and heart as well. Thu Jul 02 16:06:14 -0700 2009 4825280 55318 DockPotato 2 4826307 I realize there are more things to do beyond chops and roasts. I'm asking for cut to spec, i.e. no procesing. I make my own bacon, pancetta, ham, sausages. I was going to make pate and sausage with the liver. But what can you suggest for the heart? Thu Jul 02 20:14:07 -0700 2009 4825676 157056 grandgourmand 3 4826328 Definitely stuffed and roasted. Served with a demi glace sauce. I'm wondering if a pre-brine, including nitrate, would help. It would stiffen the muscle, and make it harder to stuff. My experience with www.beefconnections.ca has been exemplary, every time. You are getting a Berkshire bred hog which you can visit, for $300. The Charcuterie people around town will be envious. If you do visit, be sure to to pick up some fresh eggs, and ground beef, always on hand. Thu Jul 02 20:24:46 -0700 2009 4826307 56131 jayt90 3 4827521 Well you're all set then - I'm jealous. If you're using the liver for sausage, you might consider "hurka" using the heart as well. It's a fresh Hungarian sausage using rice and offal - very tasty. If you've never had it, try some from Blue Danube Sausage in Etobicoke. Fri Jul 03 11:03:47 -0700 2009 4826307 55318 DockPotato 2 4826316 To be more specific, in terms of cuts, I'm asking for: 2x shoulder 2x picnic 4x hocks 2x hams (maybe some cut into steaks) loins, however, I'm not so concerned about how to cut those bellies, yes, lots of belly jowls tail head backfat etc. beef connections said they'd cut to spec. Thu Jul 02 20:18:49 -0700 2009 4825676 157056 grandgourmand 3 4826379 Have you talked to the folks at The Pork Shoppe in Shakespeare? Organic Mennonite pigs, and what they do with them in terms of butchering and bacon is state of the art. Thu Jul 02 20:50:20 -0700 2009 4826316 80671 Snarf 4 5158310 Yes! Discovered this store about 5 years ago on the way to Stratford. Best pork I've ever tasted here in Canada. Have bought almost every cut they've had and it's always delicious. Funny story the first time we went we were going to Stratford but Pork Shoppe was going to be closed by the time we got back. Owner told us to pay for it now and she'll leave it in the fridge they have outside. I was like what? I had bought $100 worth of pork. She smiled and said, don't worry, it'll be here we're a small town and we go on the honour system! So old school I love it! Sure enough, all our pork was there on the way back. Incredible. Thu Nov 05 10:16:02 -0800 2009 4826379 1104460 Restaurant Dish 5 5159086 Next time it won't be there, though, because now we all know the secret hiding spot, hahahaha! Thu Nov 05 14:05:31 -0800 2009 5158310 19782 Full tummy 3 5157600 That is bold. Well done. Let us know how it goes. Thu Nov 05 06:17:14 -0800 2009 4826316 1105207 Kooper 4 5157735 It's been going well. I've made some great sausages with the shoulders. One of the best hams I've ever made (it came fresh, I cured and smoked). However, the pork chops didn't wow me. Oh, and jowl is curing as we speak. If you're getting a jowl, keep a keen eye on bits to be trimmed. There's a lot of glands. Oh, and this particular order was screwed up in terms of bellies. I had asked for fresh, they went ahead and turned into bacon on my behalf. That's the fault of the slaughterhouse, not the farmer. Nonetheless, I wasn't pleased. I'm making a pseudo headchees this weekend with ears, snoud, tail and tongue. Thu Nov 05 07:01:26 -0800 2009 5157600 157056 grandgourmand 5 5157792 Oooooo - headcheese. That's something I'm definately interested in hearing about. Please update on how it goes and include pics if you can! thanks GG! Thu Nov 05 07:22:25 -0800 2009 5157735 189388 lyndak 5 5158144 Folks, please share any results of your cooking experiences over on the Home Cooking board. You can leave a pointer link in this thread letting people know about it. Thanks! Thu Nov 05 09:25:05 -0800 2009 5157735 2 The Chowhound Team 1 5156367 Just a question re: whole/half pigs, didn't want to start a whole new thread. I was all set to purchase a side of pork from a small farmer near Belleville. It fell through, mostly because we wanted to pick up the pork fresh, ie, unfrozen. Is this a normal practice? I realize I am going to have to freeze much of it, but we were going to make bacon, ham and some sausage, then freeze the rest. We were going to make a weekend of it. It didn't make sense to take a fresh butt, freeze it, thaw it, cut it into chunks, put it back in the freezer until firm, make sausage, and then freeze it _again_. But maybe that's how it's done. I just wanted to see what other peoples experience was before I start looking for another source. Thanks, Brian Wed Nov 04 15:14:54 -0800 2009 4825280 1084227 brianl999 2 5156720 I think most of the time, for a small scale order, you're going to get it frozen. That is, unless you can find out when the farmer is sending pig to the slaughterhouse and picking it up when they're done with it. That may be possible. You can't get it directly from the farmer butchered fresh from the pen, it has to be from an inspected faciltiy (Sorry if you know this already). The process you're describing for making sausage is exaclty what I've been doing. Except, I hadn't really considered in that manner. I've encountered no problems. As long as you defrost meat in the fridge, not the counter, I think you're fine to thaw then re-freeze. Or at least, that's what I've been told. Bottom line, I think it is possible to get it fresh. But arrangements have to be made with the slaughterhouse. Why did your deal fall through? Have fun, I wish you luck. It's a fun thing, if you can get it to work out. Wed Nov 04 17:28:29 -0800 2009 5156367 157056 grandgourmand 3 5159183 Thanks for the info. It fell through for a few reasons, we wanted it cut up a certain way and they are apparently very busy and didn't really want to do a 'special' order. We did know when they were going to send it to the abattoir, and were willing to pick it up there. I grew up in the area and worked just down the road from the abattoir on a farm when I was younger, and have been there many times in the past. My parents still live in the area, and we were going to take the meat there, process what we wanted to process, then package and freeze the rest. I've since been in touch with the folks at Perth Pork Products (www.perthporkproducts.com), and we'll be making a trip there this weekend to put a down payment on either a Tamworth of Berkshire pig, pickup around Nov 20. Thanks again for the reply, Brian Thu Nov 05 14:40:00 -0800 2009 5156720 1084227 brianl999 4 5159856 Now let me know how that goes. I think I'm making my next purchase from them, for sure. Thu Nov 05 19:24:38 -0800 2009 5159183 157056 grandgourmand 1 5160463 GG do you know where to get butcher's paper? My cured salmon got too dry in the fridge and too moist in a plastic bag. I don't want to ruin anything. Fri Nov 06 06:28:26 -0800 2009 4825280 1105207 Kooper 2 5160539 Go to a local butcher, but a steak and ask for extra paper? A place like cumbrae's uses butcher paper...or any real butcher shop, that is. Fri Nov 06 07:01:07 -0800 2009 5160463 157056 grandgourmand 3 5160730 Highland Farms, too Fri Nov 06 08:00:20 -0800 2009 5160539 56131 jayt90