The Pig

We've come to realize that Gambians have more local knowledge than we do and their fried chicken is to die for but when it comes to actually butchering an animal, think steaks, chops, bacon, they haven't got a clue.  They just hack the carcass to pieces.  I know it's dead but I still feel sorry for the poor animal being treated so disrespectfully.  It doesn't bring out the best in the meat.  Our neighbor offered us some cooked pork but it was burnt.  They say it needs to be cooked well to kill the bacteria.  Yes.  I'm with them all the way on that one one. But burning it destroys the meat.  The life of the animal has been wasted.

I thought I could do a better job myself.  

Could I?  I've always agreed with the idea that if you're going to eat meat you should be prepared to kill it.  But I can't.  What I CAN do is butcher it well and make delicious meals from the meat.  Then the life of the animal hasn't been squandered.

I've never butchered anything in my life so with the help of YouTube and a guy called Scott Rea I undertook the butchering of my very first pig.  I found the experience interesting and surprisingly enjoyable.  I didn't have much equipment, a hacksaw with a new blade, a large knife and a small one.  I don't have a work surface, I just use the top of the washing machine, so I put plastic sheets on the floor. 

I'm not going to put the gory pictures on but if you don't like the sight of meat look away now.

The pig was cut in half lengthways, I took my half and cut it into three primals.

It was left in the fridge overnight.  Apparently it makes the meat firmer and easier to cut up. 

 This belly joint alone weighs 8 kilos.  I also got three smaller ones from the two legs.  Sliced on top to make crackling.  Yumm!

Chops.  I'll cut some of these thinner next time to make rashers.

Diced pork and another joint.

I also got a tenderloin and steaks.


I made the diced pork into a casserole. It was delicious with mashed potato.

I made scratchings with some of the leftover skin.  I experimented with different flavors.  Left to right, cumin, salt, smoked paprika and rosemary.  This was very easy, just salt the pieces, let them dry out for a little while and cook in the oven for an hour. (I decided in the end that just plain salted was best).  This also produced some lovely lard for roasting potatoes.

I'm cooking pulled pork in the solar cooker.

This is how it turned out.  It tasted wonderful with soft bread and butter and barbecue sauce.

Ribs in barbecue sauce

 Nothing went to waste.  I put the pieces I wasn't going to use out for the vultures.  It didn't take them long to arrive.  I put them on the place where we put our rubbish.  The landlady had been recently to burn it but strangely the vultures wouldn't walk on the ash.  It took me a couple of minutes to work it out.  I then threw the pieces onto the soil and they all dived in. There were about 40 in the end.

When the vultures are excited their faces go pink.

My Irish friends will hate me for giving away perfectly good hocks to vultures but I just can't bring myself to eat them.

I cant get the link to attach for some reason.  Just copy and paste it yourself.
Its the vultures eating the leftovers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4C5wGYC7hM



The half pig cost around £17.50ish.  It has given us a lot of meat and cut in a way that's normally impossible to buy here.  So we save money, get good food, the cats and the vultures are happy.  What's not to love?

I'm off for a cold beer and a couple of scratchings.