PORK SLAUGHTERING, CUTTING, PRESERVING, AND COOKING ON THE FARM TEXT

twine or cord to make an easily carved roast (fig. 85). Be sure to tie the roast so that the back muscles run lengthwise. [Illustration: Boston shoulder with blade bone sliced off] Figure 84.—Removing blade bone. [Illustration: Rolled Boston shoulder tied with loops of string] Figure 85.—Boneless, tied Boston shoulder. Separate the spareribs from the belly by cutting closely underneath the ribs beginning at the flank end of the ribs (fig. 86). [Illustration: Man slicing off spare ribs] Figure 86.—Removing spareribs. Prepare a bacon side from the belly by first trimming the lean at the shoulder end approximately the same thickness as the lean in the area where the spareribs were removed. Remove any thin or ragged pieces of lean. Turn the belly over and press it flat. Remove the lower edge by a straight cut, parallel to the cut separating the belly from the loin and just inside the teat line on gilt and barrow bellies (fig. 87). Any enlarged or dark mammary glands should be removed. Trim the flank edge at a slight angle so the bacon side is approximately 1 inch longer on the midline edge—the side opposite the cut made to separate the loin from the belly. This extra length will compensate for differences in shrinkage during curing. [Illustration: the belly and trimmed edges] Figure 87.—Trimming belly. Sausage is made from the fat and lean trimmings produced from making trimmed hams, loins, bellies, picnic shoulders, and Boston roasts. If lean or additional sausage is desired, a picnic shoulder can be boned and added to the trimmings. Sausage should have a lean content of more than 50 percent. Remove skin, bone, cartilage, and bloody portions from the meat before grinding (fig. 88). [Illustration: Man slicing small portions off bones] Figure 88.—Skinning pork trimmings. Wrapping Fresh pork should be properly wrapped, quickly frozen, and stored at a temperature of -10° F or lower immediately after cutting. Proper wrapping is essential to maintain meat quality: • use moisture and vapor-proof wrap such as heavily waxed or specially laminated freezer paper • prepare convenient family-sized packages wrap meat tightly to eliminate as much air as possible • use a proper wrapping procedure (fig. 89) label and date each package properly [Illustration: Drawing showing 5 steps to wrapping meat] Figure 89.—Wrapping procedures. FREEZING AND FROZEN STORAGE Frozen pork, particularly cured or seasoned pork, will not retain its quality as long as beef or lamb. Pork should be frozen as soon after cutting as possible before any spoilage or rancidity can occur. Usually the hams, bacon, and shoulders are cured and do not require freezing. There should be ample freezer space available for fresh cuts. When using the home freezer be sure to: • clean and defrost freezer • freeze meat at -10° F or lower temperature • freeze only the amount that will freeze in 24 hours • allow ample air circulation by not over-packing the freezer • maintain the freezer at a temperature of 0° F or less for storage Recommended freezer storage times for pork as published in G-160, “Pork in Family Meals,” (see page 64) are as follows: chops 3–4 months roasts 4–8 months fresh sausage 1–2 months variety meats 1 month or less cured hams 1–2 months When thawing frozen pork (or any meat), it is best to thaw it in the original package in the refrigerator. Allow approximately 3 hours per pound for small roasts and chops. Meat should not be thawed at room temperature because of increased chances of food spoilage. If thawed properly at refrigerator temperatures, the meat can be refrozen with minimal loss of quality which results from drip, etc. Meat cooked from the frozen state is similar in palatability to thawed meat but requires up to one-third more cooking time. FURTHER PROCESSING Curing Pork _Precautions_: The suggestions described in this bulletin are intended for use at home or on the farm where facilities for curing are limited. The continued use of nitrates and nitrites in meat curing is presently being investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. Therefore, before using nitrates (saltpeter) and nitrites as mentioned in this bulletin, check with your local county agent to determine whether its use has been rescinded. For establishing a commercial curing operation, contact the local Extension Service or your State Department of Agriculture for methods and regulations, or write to the USDA, Food Safety and Quality Service, Washington, D.C. 20250. The USDA has recommended that nitrates (saltpeter) not be permitted in commercial curing operations using _curing solutions_. Nitrates would still be permitted in very limited amounts in dry cured or fermented sausages because of their importance in flavor, color fixation, and retarding bacterial growth. Be _very careful_ in adding nitrates to your meat—they are very poisonous in large amounts. _Nitrites_ may be toxic when eaten in large quantities. Care should be taken to use only the required amount. They may be purchased from farm supply stores and some drug stores. Very small quantities of sodium or potassium nitrites are used in curing solutions. It is advisable to have your supplier measure and package separately the amounts you plan to use. For example, the formula for sweet pickle cure includes only 1.18 ounce (33.45 grams or two and a half tablespoons) of nitrite per 100 pounds of meat. Several packages of exactly this amount would greatly aid in preparing curing solutions. Do not put meat in cure until it has been thoroughly chilled for at least 24 hours. In addition, do not stack cuts which have not been properly chilled because stacking slows chilling and may result in spoilage. Frozen cuts should be thawed prior to curing. Weigh curing ingredients carefully. Too little salt may allow spoilage. Too much salt will make meat hard, dry, and salty. Suggestion: Numerous states have published excellent illustrated bulletins on curing meat on the farm. The following bulletins* are recommended: * A small fee may be required. 1. Curing Hams Country Style. North Carolina Agr. Ext. Service Cir. No. 405, by J. A. Christian and T. N. Blumer. January 1971. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. 27607. 2. Curing Georgia Hams. University of Georgia Cooperative Ext. Service Bul. No. 627, by J. A. Christian. 1973. University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. 30601. 3. Pork Processing on the Farm. University of Kentucky Cooperative Ext. Service Cir. No. 621, by W. Y. Varney and J. D. Kemp, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky. 40506 4. Curing Ham—Virginia Style. Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Ext. Div. Publication No. 223, by R. F. Kelly, P. P. Graham, J. D. Baldock and Jo Anne Barton. 1974. VPI, Blacksbury, Va. 24061 All parts of the pork carcass can be cured. The hams, shoulders, and bellies are usually cured. Although the loin can be cured, it is generally used fresh as chops or roasts. The ingredients used in curing are salt, sugar, and sodium nitrate or nitrite. Salt is the preserving agent; nitrates (dry cure only) and nitrites are added for color and flavor development, but are also preserving agents. Sugar is used to counteract the harshness of salt. Commercial cures are available with some added spices and flavorings to give a characteristic flavor, aroma, or appearance. Curing pork on the farm is usually done by one of two methods: dry cure or brine cure (plain or sugar-cured). Dry Curing The dry cure method entails rubbing meat with curing ingredients. Check the internal temperature of the largest cut. Be sure it is below 40° F. Federal meat inspection regulations state that the temperature of meat being dry cured should not be allowed to go below 36° F during the salt cure equalization period. Weigh the meat and curing ingredients accurately. For 100 pounds of meat, use an 8-2-2 mix. • 8 pounds salt • 2 pounds sugar • 2 ounces sodium nitrate (dry cure only) Mix curing ingredients thoroughly. For curing hams and picnic shoulders, divide into three equal parts. Rub one part of the mixture on all surfaces of the meat, making sure to push the mixture into the shank end of the hams. Put a thin layer (one-eighth inch) of cure over all cuts and stack in the curing room, skin side down on a table or shelf. On the fifth day, remove the hams and shoulders and apply the second one-third of the cure. Apply the last one-third on the tenth day. Bellies will usually cure with only one application. However, like hams and shoulders, they can be resalted on the fifth day. Federal meat inspection regulations state that the salt (cure) equalization period for hams and picnics is usually less than about 40 days or 3 days per pound of product (fresh weight). Bellies are commonly cured about 7 days per inch of thickness. The curing pork should be stored in a refrigerated place where a constant temperature between 36° F and 42° F is maintained. Bacteria grow rapidly in unsalted meat when the temperature rises above 50° F. After curing, soaking the meat will improve its quality and appearance. Soak in lukewarm water (not exceeding 70° F) for approximately 2 minutes for each day in cure. Soaking tends to distribute the seasoning more evenly and draws out some of the heavy salt concentration on the meat surface. Hang cuts up to dry for about 3 hours before smoking. Sweet Pickle Cure Place chilled, trimmed cut into a clean crock or barrel and cover with a cold pickle solution. The pickle solution is made by dissolving the following ingredients in 4½ gallons of water: • 8 pounds salt • 3 pounds sugar • 1.18 ounce (33.45 grams or two and a half tablespoons) sodium nitrite (see precautions on nitrite). Weight the meat down to keep it from floating and cover it with curing solution. Keep the meat cold during the curing period (36° to 40° F). Overhaul the meat about once or twice during the curing period to allow the pickle to reach all parts of the meat. To overhaul, remove all the meat, pour out the pickle, repack the meat, and cover with the same restirred pickle. To the extent possible, the cuts should be repacked so that surfaces that were previously in contact with other cuts are now exposed to the curing solution. Curing time for hams and shoulders is 3½ to 4 days per pound. Thus a 6-pound shoulder needs 24 days to cure and a 15-pound ham will require 60 days. A 10-pound belly will cure in about 15 days. However, heavier bellies and loins will require 21 days. During curing the temperature of the pickle should be maintained at around 36° F. At higher temperatures, the brine may become sour or ropy due to the growth of bacteria. Ropy brine looks like partially cooked egg white. If this happens, discard the brine, scrub the meat with hot water, wash and scald the curing container, and repack meat with a new, cold curing solution. If the curing period was half over, make the new solution two-thirds the strength of the original. If three-fourths over, make the new solution one-half the original strength. After curing, prepare the meat for smoking by soaking (as discussed under dry curing) and drying. Pumping Hams and Shoulders To speed up curing, most commercial packers pump brine into the hams and shoulders. Brine pumping can be used in conjunction with the other methods, or alone. Pumping requires special needles and a pump (hand or electric) to ensure proper distribution of the brine. The brine solution is prepared using the 8:3:1.18 mixture previously outlined. Two pounds of this cure mixture are dissolved in 1 gallon of cold water and the meat pumped with brine equivalent to 10 percent of its weight. Pumping may be accomplished by using the artery or stitch method. The femoral artery of the ham is located above the big flat bone which is cut when the ham is separated from the carcass. The artery is about halfway between the cut surface of the bone and the point of the aitch bone. With small forceps, you can clamp the end of the artery and push tissue and loose fat away so the pumping needle can be inserted. Stitch pumping is not as effective as artery pumping but is more so than either dry or pickle cure. Stitch pumping is accomplished with a spray needle by pumping along the bone, around the joints, and vertically in thicker, lean parts of the ham or picnic. Cuts should be stored for a day to allow the cure to equilibrate prior to smoking. Smoking Smoking cured pork improves its appearance and gives it a characteristic aroma and flavor apart from that of any other meat product. Careful attention should be given to smoking and aging procedures to prevent microbial spoilage or insect infestation. _Smokehouses:_ The smokehouse can be simple or elaborate in design, depending on the quantity of meat to be smoked. It should be of reasonably tight construction to permit easy regulation of temperature and flow of air and smoke. Special attention during construction should be given to the control of insect and rodent infestations. Temporary smokehouses for small quantities of meat can be constructed cheaply and easily. Construction should include a ventilated enclosure for hanging and smoking the meat as well as facilities for generating smoke and supplying it to the house. A barrel or drum with both ends removed, connected by a stove pipe or a covered trench to a fire pit, can be used (fig. 90). Set the barrel over the upper end of the 10 to 12 feet of stove pipe, which is sloped downward to the fire pit. Control the heat of the fire by covering the pit with a piece of sheet metal and mounding earth around the edges, so as to cut off most of the draft. Clean muslin or burlap hung over the top of the barrel will protect a 1-inch opening between the barrel and the cleated top, which rests on broomsticks supporting the meat (fig. 90). This type of smokehouse is large enough for the cuts from one hog. An old refrigerator or a simple frame house can be used rather than a barrel. The fire can also be built in a ventilated barrel which is connected to the smokehouse by a stove pipe. [Illustration: Cross section of pit, buried pipe, and smoke barrel] Figure 90.—Barrel for smoking. Permanent structures suitable for smoking meat should be constructed if large quantities of meat are to be smoked. Tight construction and well-fitted ventilators provide effective regulation of the air flow past the meat. An outside firebox makes temperature control easy and reduces fire hazard. Consult the local extension agent for detailed plans for the construction of permanent smokehouses. _Smoking Process:_ All meat to be smoked should be soaked to remove surface concentration of salt. Cuts should be allowed to dry since a wet surface will not take a uniform smoked color. Hang the cuts in the smokehouse in such a way that cuts do not touch each other or the wall. Suspend hams and shoulders with string or clean galvanized wire through the shank. Prior to hanging bellies, reinforce the ends with hardwood skewers or clean galvanized wire to hold them square. Bacon hangers can also be made from strips of non-resinous wood through which several small galvanized nails have been driven. In the firepit, build a fire of any hardwood, such as hickory, oak, apple, pecan, and maple. Hickory is the most popular. NEVER use soft woods (pine, cedar, spruce, or other “needle leaf” trees) because their smoke is sooty and contains resin which gives the meat a dark color, bitter taste, and strong odor. Once the fire is burning, hard wood sawdust can be added to deaden the blaze and generate more smoke. Dampen the sawdust with water to prevent it from flaming. A thin haze of smoke is as effective as a dense cloud. The absorption of smoke and the change in color of the outside surface of smoked meat is hastened by high temperatures. The type of smokehouse and the outside temperatures are important factors in the length of time required to smoke meat. Federal meat inspection regulations state that whenever the fresh appearance of a product containing pork muscle tissue has been altered to resemble a product that may mistakenly be eaten without cooking or with less than thorough cooking, it must have been treated in an acceptable manner to destroy possible live trichinae by heating to an internal temperature of 137° or otherwise treating (see page 62). A suggested schedule for smoking pumped or pickled cured hams is as follows: • 4 hours - 120° F damper open - smoke off • 6 hours - 140° F damper one-quarter open - smoke on • Raise temperature to 170° F and hold until internal temperature reaches 142° to 146° F. To be fully cooked, it is recommended that the cuts remain in the smokehouse until their internal temperature reaches 152° to 155° F. For smoking bacon, the following schedule may be used: • 2 hours - 115° F damper open - smoke off • 2 hours - 130° F damper closed - smoke on • Raise temperature to 140° F and hold until internal temperature reaches 127–130° F _Storage of Smoked Meats_: Cured, smoked pork can be handled several ways depending on the final product desired. It can be eaten immediately, refrigerated or frozen for future use, canned, or aged for the development of the characteristic “country-cured” flavor. If the product is to be frozen or canned, follow the recommendations given in the Wrapping or Canning sections. Canning If done properly, pork can be satisfactorily preserved by canning. Meat is a low acid, high protein food that allows for good bacterial growth. The use of a pressure canner is vital to ensure that the sterilization temperature (240° F) is reached and maintained for the proper length of time. A water bath or a steamer is _not recommended_ since neither one attains a sufficiently high temperature to produce effective sterilization. Meat may be canned soon after chilling since aging has little effect on the flavor and tenderness of canned meats. The proper canning procedure is as follows: Use only pint and quart jars. Larger jars are difficult to heat thoroughly to the center. Cut the meat into small strips or cubes. Place meat into a large shallow pan; add enough water to prevent sticking. Cover the pan and cook slowly until medium done. Stir occasionally so that the meat heats evenly. Two and one-half pounds of boneless meat will fill a quart jar. Pack hot meat loosely in glass jars and cover with hot meat broth or boiling water. Leave 1 inch of head space. For flavor, salt can be added to each jar (approximately one-half teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart). Clean any residue from the top of the jar and adjust lids to manufacturer’s specifications and process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F). Process pint jars for 75 minutes; quarts for 90 minutes. Allow the canner to cool until the pressure drops to zero. Don’t pour cold water over the canner to hasten the cooling. Remove the jars and space them a few inches apart to cool. If a jar does not seal, re-can the meat in another jar or use it for food at once. When re-canning, heat the meat through. Then pack and process in pressure canner for the full time recommended. Store sealed jars of canned meat in a cool, dry place and don’t allow it to freeze. Lard Rendering To produce a high quality lard with good stability, remove all the skin and lean from the back-fat and other fat trimmings. Fats from