'just learning' before i slaughter my hog

[tz22]

greetings:

thanks for all the great info in here.

i have a hog ready to slaughter soon and i have never smoked meat or butchered a pig for that matter. my son and i spend a lot of time with lambs, goats, rabbits and chickens as a backyard interest for enjoyment and food but the pig is new to us.

side note; pigs are very cool animals to have around the farm.

so my goal here is to find out the basics:

1. how to make An inexpensive, do it yrself, backyard cold smoker

2. how to smoke meat

3. what to consider smoking when butchering a whole pig

4. bacon bacon bacon

5. ham ham ham

6. sausage sausage sausage

so thanks for taking time with a new member. i don't expect posters to do my research work for me and i will be happy to read existing threads on these questions if i can find them or if they are pointed out to me.

tz22

 

[smokeys my pet]

TZ welcome to the forum and may all you smoke run thin and blue!!!!!!!!!

 

[gramason]

Welcome to the SMF, I can't help you out on the butchering, but i'm sure someone will be along who can.

 

[tz22]

thank you TXHNTR

that's what i was imagining...sort of...now i know what to shoot for..

so i guess that ham and bacon are not for beginners? d#$%!

ok...i guess i better learn some now while the pig is still happy and growing.

Welcome aboard TZ..



This should give you a idea or put you in the right direction..

http://www.smoking-meat.com/smokehouse-plans.html

 

[djohn312]

hey texas hunter it does not show the most important part Bacon Bacon Bacon

 

[kookie]

Welcome to the site......... Lots of great info here............

 

[richoso1]

Glad you're part og the SMF. I'm sure you'll get plenty of valuable feedback soon on this subject. Good luck my friend.

 

[travcoman45]

Welcome aboard! OH, and quit playing with your food, smoke it!

 

[tz22]

great color chart txhnter...thnks.

i've raised and butchered and roasted numerous lambs and a few goats and they are great. while you raise them, they are sort of like your buddies and come time for slaughter- well, it's not something i look forward to but once you're into it, it's interesting.

now this pig on the otherhand: she is also like a buddy but like texashunter's chart, she's all meat...almost like a cartoon when i hang out with her...looking at sections of pork...just like hunter's chart...imagining bacon and hams and chops...

i'm sure glad we're doing it. now i've got to get educated on smoking hams and bacon. i am determined to at least give it a try.

sausage can wait a few years but those hams!

 

[crockadale]

If your going to cook them don't give it a name other than maybe pork chop or BBQ. Welcome aboard Tz22.

 

[cowgirl]

You're gonna love homegrown homesmoked pork.

Remember...do not feed the pig the night before slaughter, just fresh water. (you probably already knew that.

)

 

[welder]

When i was a kid we always salt cured our ham and side meat ground the shoulder into sasuage. Be sure to save the jowel that the best part.

 

[flyin'illini]

TZ -- I can understand. I grew up on a hog farm and raised/showed 4-H hogs for 10 yrs. My first 4-H hog was like a pet (age 10) as you say but I got over it once I got the check from the auction!

Fresh sausage cannot be duplicated. It has been so long since I had that, I can hardly remember. (lived off farm for 20+ yrs now)

 

[bb53chevpro]

Welcome to the forum. you will love it here. Here is a link to one of my posts for my home made cold smoker. It was built from an old garage door. If you would like more info about it, email me and I can give you all of the info. [email protected]
Andy.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...t=13369&page=2