Newbie Question - Singe hair hog vs scald and scrape

[jeremie schultz]

I built a cinderblock pit to cook/smoke a whole hog for thanksgiving. I don't know what I am doing. Don't worry, my wife is making turkey as a backup so the guests wont go hungry.

The american guinea hog (AGH) is probably about 130 to 150 pounds.

The AGH breed is different proportions than other hogs, bigger shoulders than hams, supposed to be more marbled, a lard type hog. I have never butchered any hog, so won't know to compare. Here is a post of what the carcass of the AGH is like. http://therealdeihlchef.com/?p=177

If you flame the hairs off and leave the skin on and then use a cinderblock pit to cook/smoke the  whole hog with its skin on, will it taint the taste of the meat at all? Will the skin be edible?

never roasted a hog at all.

I don't have a scalding tank or scrapers, but would like to leave the skin on if possible.

Anybody ever done this?

Or fi you haven't, do you know of any concerns I should have?

Thanks for the help.

Hoping to do it for thanksgiving get together.

 

[daveomak]

Don't hold me to it..... I think I read where scalding and scraping leaves a better hide for eating... the hair follicles are removed when scraped....

Scraping can be done by pouring boiling water over the hide... opens the pores and follicles for easier hair removal...

Torching off the hair screws up the hide for chicharrones...

At least I think that is what I remember....

Never done it... If you had a steam generator, you could try that also... Let us know what you learn...

Dave

 

[crankybuzzard]

I'm in for this one!

I watched a hog scalding once when I was in FFA, and decided I didn't want to do it. :biggrin:

 

[boykjo]

More than likely you should get the pig with the hair already removed with skin on only. I would call and see what exactly your going to get. If this is your first hog I would let them do the prep..... I like them this way

whole hog.jpg

• boykjo
• Nov 25, 2015

My 2 cents

 

[gsb77]

The only one I've ever done we scalded and scraped.  I used about a two and a half inch putty knife/paint scraper to scrape with.  When done scraping we used a torch to singe what hair was left off. We used an old bathtub with a fire under it to scald the pig in and put the scalded pig on a table to scrape.  My advice is to have plenty of help and watch some videos on youtube before starting.

 

[jeremie schultz]

It is my own hog. So the hog will be walking around when I get it. :)

I was researching this some more and found a book on the gutenberg press site. http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/32414/pg32414.txt

Home Pork Making_The Art of Raising and Curing Pork on the Farm_A complete guide for the farmer, the country butcher and the suburbandweller, in all that pertains to hog slaughtering, curing, preserving andstoring pork product--from scalding vat to kitchen table and dining room.By A. W. FULTON1900

TO ROAST WHOLE.A pig ought not to be under four nor over six weeks old, and ought to beplump and fat. In the city, the butcher will sell you a shoat alreadyprepared, but in the country, we must prepare our own pig for roasting. Assoon as the pig is killed, throw it into a tub of cold water to make ittender; as soon as it is perfectly, cold, take it by the hind leg andplunge into scalding water, and shake it about until the hair can all beremoved, by the handful at a time. When the hair has all been removed, rubfrom the tail up to the end of the nose with a coarse cloth. Take off thehoofs and wash out the inside of the ears and nose until perfectly clean.Hang the pig up, by the hind legs, stretched open so as to take out theentrails; wash well with water with some bicarbonate of soda dissolved init; rinse again and again and let it hang an hour or more to drip. Wrap itin a coarse, dry cloth, when taken down, and lay in a cold cellar, or onice, as it is better not to cook the pig the same day it is killed. Saykill and clean it late in the evening and roast it the next morning.Prepare the stuffing of the liver, heart and haslets, stewed, seasoned andchopped fine. Mix with these an equal quantity of boiled Irish potatoes,mashed, or bread crumbs, and season with hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine,parsley and sage, or thyme, chopped fine, pepper and salt. Scald the pigon the inside, dry it and rub with pepper and salt, fill with the stuffingand sew up. Bend the forelegs under the body, the hind legs forward, andskewer to keep in position. Place in a large baking pan and pour over itone quart of boiling water. Rub fresh butter all over the pig and sprinklepepper and salt over it, and put a bunch of parsley and thyme, or sage, inthe water. Turn a pan down over it and let it simmer in a hot oven tillperfectly tender. Then take off the pan that covers the pig, rub it withmore butter and let brown, basting it frequently with the hot gravy. Ifthe hot water and gravy cook down too much, add more hot water and baste.When of a fine brown, and tender and done all through, cover the edges ofa large, flat china dish with fresh green parsley and place the pig,kneeling, in the center of the dish. Place in its mouth a red apple, or anear of green corn, and serve hot with the gravy; or serve cold with gratedhorse-radish and pickle. Roast pig ought to be evenly cooked, through andthrough, as underdone pork of any kind, size or age is exceedinglyunwholesome. It ought also to be evenly and nicely browned on the outside,as the tender skin when cooked is crisp and palatable. It is easilyscorched, therefore keep a pig, while roasting, covered till tender andalmost done.

Makes it sound like it was just pulling out by hand. All the videos I have watched showed them killing then scraping. No cooling it down first. I wonder if that makes it easier to get the hair out since it would kind of shock it by changing the temp from one extreme to the other.

 

[bdskelly]

Man... Interesting read.  I hope you've got some pals to help with this project.  It's looks like a bunch of work. But the results could be off the chart!

Points for the information and for you taking on the project!  Best of luck! 

b

 

[eman]

we have done from piglets to 250 lb sows . . never did the cold water part . like others we have an old cast iron bath tub that we use. get a couple of burners going w/ big pots to heat water. you will need 2 - 3 people minimum to do it right and easily. we use old butcher knives that are fairly dull to scrape,

. put the pig in the tub and start pouring the almost boiling water over the pig and scrape the hair against the grain.

    as you use a pot of water put another on to heat.  heavy rubber gloves keep you from burning your hands.

After you are done you can use a torch to catch any missed spots. (we did try to use a torch once to de hair and IMHO it did affect the taste).

 Good luck have fun and once you get the hang of scrapping it's not hard.