The Making of LARDO from a Pig Hunt (part 2)

Hunting to me is Hiking – with weaponry & a purpose.  Though we celebrate the kill, the main purpose is not the killing for me, but the eating.  Whether bows & arrows, machetes, spearguns, rifles, shotguns, knives or even bare hands, we use what we gotta use.  I’ll make some posts on the tools of engagement later.  Back to the second part of LARDO.

Proper butchering about to begin

Taking off the jacket, look at the beautiful amount of back fat

Meehan saving a 2 foot x 2 foot piece of skin in order to make chicharones. Nothing gets wasted.

“QUICK GET ERIK’s WOK. SAVE THE BLOOD. BLOOD SAUSAGE YAHHH.” On the table: skin, head for testa-rossa/headcheese, bone saw, skinner, boning knife, electric

Pig Heart – we save the organs

Even the Caul Fat – looks cool and has a purpose

When in Rome… Ritual of blood war-paint on the face from his first-kill

Proud dog

Who saves lard? memememe

cutting into usable sizes

Wake up and smell the backfat

Pink peppercorns, garlic, salt, rosemary, bay leaf Lardo curing mix

in the fridge for 3-5 days

Meehan’s eye color looks exactly the same as the Pig’s.  Makes you realize that we are very close to these animals.  Edgar Allan Poe would like this.  All the meat will be used, including the tongue, jowels, cheeks

The rest of the meat will be stored to let it relax (future house will have a meat aging /hanging room). To give you reference of how much usable meat there is from this pig. this is about 75% of the meat; check out the egg cartons to the right

first dish: Wild Hog, potato fondant, celery gremolata, red cabbage jus

11 hour duck confit w/ potatoes cooked in duck fat

After chasing, butchering, dissecting, skinning, recording, and preparing the pig into its usable parts, it was DEFINITELY time for some Lunch! I think one of the few things we didn’t save from this animal was the intestine for sausage casing.  I know it’s not always possible to go and kill your own animal, but the second best thing is to DATE A HUNTER develop a relationship with your butcher who can save you all the good parts 😉

-E

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