THE BUTCHERY – PICTORIAL
What follows is a brief narrative of how to go about basic butchery cuts for the purposes of various charcuterie production. The narrative is supplemented by images which hopefully make the point notwithstanding the clumsy narrative.Follow the pictures.
Remember, sharpen your knife every few cuts. It is easier to keep a sharp knife in good condition than to bring a dull knife up to a good edge. It is also much easier to cut with a sharp knife, and safer also. A blunt knife requires more effort and therefor more risk of cutting yourself.
THE THREE PRIMAL CUTS
Start with half a pig. A commercial pig will be about 75 kg dressed weight, which means that the half carcass will weigh approximately 35 kg without the head. The head will be treated separately.
It is easier to approach the task from the cut side so that one can see the vertebrae and where to cut.
The first task is to separate the shoulder from the carcass. The first cut is between the fifth and sixth ribs. This is easily located from the cut side.
It can also be located from the skin side in the depression where the foreleg joins the belly.
Cut through the belly and between the fifth and sixth ribs. You may need to use a bone saw to cut through the breastbone or sternum of the animal. Use a knife when cutting anything other than bone.
Cut through the vertebrae using a bone saw.
Once the bone saw has cut through bone return to the knife to cut through the meat.
