Ethan,
We had a hog slaughtered in January. One thing that we were really wanting was
ALL the lard/fat. We rendered it down easily (although it took all day) and
have enjoyed the lard all year. Here's a link to all the cuts FYI

http://www.askthemeatman.com/hog_cuts_interactive_chart.htm

I also made pork broth from a recipe I found on the internet. I roasted my
bones with vegetables in the oven and the simmered them on top of the stove for
hours with more vegetables - YUMMY.

We had finished this hog ourselves on organic grains and acorns so we wanted to
have our sausage made with organic (non-irradiated) herbs. I found some fine
recipes online for breakfast sausage ordered the herbs and seasonings and mixed
up batches for 25lbs of sausage. It was fantastic. My family of 6 ate it all
up in about two months.

I have friends that are from Mexico and when we slaughtered our pig I gave them
the head and skin which they were delighted with.

We salt cured our own bacon in the fridge for a week and then smoked it at a low
temp. It was very good but we didn't have a slicer. You MUST have a slicer or
your bacon might not cook up good. We had to end up using most of our bacon for
seasoning beans, etc.

I brined a ham in the fridge in a large stainless pot and smoked it. It was so
good that we nearly ate the whole thing that night. I highly recommend brining.

Hope that's not TMI!
Lynn Thompson
--- In AL_WAPF@yahoogroups.com, "ethan.muehlbauer" <muehlbauer1375@...> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> Can anyone help me with suggestions on what to ask for at the meat processor
when he butchers a hog I have purchased.
>
> I have done this once before...when I knew almost nothing about real
Traditional Foods. They gave me the supermarket cuts and nothing else...a few
roasts, hams, chops, liver, sausage, ribs and that was about it.
>
> This time I want as much as possible, organs, bones, fat, etc, but don't know
how to ask for it so that I get everything done properly.
>
> Can someone help me out with this?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Ethan
>