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["Robert Walton" <waltonrp AT gmail.com>]

> Please give us a blow by blow on this...
>
> Bev

My Salvadoran in-laws were here, so we did it Salvadoran style.

Of course, could not get the hog to where we wanted him, so I shot him
with my 22 rifle from behind the ear to the eye on the other side. He
dropped nicely.

Used the tractor and chain to drag him to where I could get him in the bucket.

Hung the hog and bled him. They keep the blood to make sausage, so you
have to get at least the neck clean first.

They cut up the meat right away and that worked better since the temps
were not with us. It was only in the mid 40s that night and in the 60s
the next day. I'd have canceled and done another time, but all the
help was here and we wanted pig for Christmas.

In lieu of trying to dip the hg in an old bathtup of water, we just
splashed buckets of scalding water on the part we were scraping. Next
time, I'll rig something up to dip the hog.

Left the big pieces out on a table overnight to cool, I'd have
preferred hanging, but got out voted. El Salvador is warm, so you cut
the pig up fast, no hanging.

Stayed up late rendering lard and cooking the head and organ meats on
the outdoor stove. The outdoor stove is key here, rendering lard in
the house is nasty work.

They make a dish called fritata, all the organ meats, blood sausage,
stuff from the head, ears, etc. It's all fryed up and good stuff.

(About 6 people and a bottle of Maker's Mark got used up)

In the AM, got up and started cutting and bagging. I used a hack saw
where needed, but didn't get butcher cuts. For instance pork chops
with the bone in. Better to cut large pieces and make bags of the
little chunks to use that way.

All in all it was a good experience, just having help is a very good
thing. This hog was at least 300 lb on the hoof, next year, next year,
I'll start them later in the year, maybe July because a smaller hog is
easier to deal with.

I have about 30 or more quarts of lard rendered and bags of fat frozen
to render later. I like to cook with lard and think it's healthier, so
that's a good thing and a benefit of letting the hog get over 250 lb.

I have the female of the pair still here, I'll get her done in January
or Feb and plan to do a more traditional hanging of the meat overnight
and do hams and bacon so I'm up for any tips!. Just cured a side of
bacon and a skinless shoulder on this hog.

Rob