THE BUTCHERY- NARRATIVE

A PORK CARCASS

At last, we get to the point of this book and the reason why I wrote it. It became apparent to me from the very beginning that this culinary backwater, so richly embedded in history, was all about preserving the abundance of meat which is achieved from a smallholder’s livestock. In this case, the domestic pig. The domestic pig was kept from time immemorial as a food source but also as an animal which would thrive on waste food or the food which was not consumed by the human hosts. They are, I understand, relatively easy to look after, they eat most things, they occupy a small space, and as they say in the classics, everything but the squeal can be utilised. They are probably the perfect smallholder animal to be reared for meat, after the chook and probably the duck. The yield is significant, particularly if they are left to their own devices and to achieve significant dressed weights. This of course was the way that they were treated historically, the fatter, and heavier, the pig, the more desirable it was for the purposes of charcuterie production. As you may understand from my earlier observations in this book and the preceding two books on the subject, I am not so convinced about that. The other thing which should be mentioned is that the most economical way to approach charcuterie is by using a whole animal carcass or at least a half animal carcass. This way the butcher will sell you a whole or half carcass for the most economical rate per kilo. In this scenario you will pay the same amount for every cut of meat regardless of its market price. Let me explain further, pork belly is currently very trendy ,desirable and therefore very expensive. It is not unusual to pay $16 or $18 a kilo at the market for a cut of meat that, five years ago I would have paid $8 or $9 a kilogram for at the same market. The loin of the pig, of the boneless variety, is less desirable but one would still expect to pay in the order of $10 a kilogram at the market. The scotch fillet of pork, the so-called coppa, a reference to the Italian nomenclature, might be in the order of $10 or $12 a kilogram at the market.

The leg, a less desirable cut in modern culinary observations, might be offered for sale at $8 or $9 a kilo, perhaps $ 6 or $7 on a good day at the market.

The offcuts of the butchery process, mainly from the shoulder and leg, form the foundation of mince which is, in turn, the essential ingredient for the purposes of making air dried sausages . This is offered for sale at the market for between $6 and $10 per kg, depending on quality.

If you add these prices for the various cuts of meat and average them across the weight of the meat you will be paying more than the cost of purchasing a whole carcass or a half carcass of pork, the economy is clear.These are the economies of scale which applies to all purchasing, the more you buy, the less you pay on a unit price basis . A half pork carcass will cost about $8/ kg, a few years ago it was $ 5 / kg.

The head, trotters, bones, and skin are all desirable elements for the purposes of charcuterie and are effectively thrown in for free. Accordingly, if you have the capacity if not the fortitude to purchase a whole carcass or a half carcass then you are the beneficiary of the economies of scale and can afford to make risky decisions if not lose some elements by way of experimentation.

The easiest way to start is with a half pork carcass. If you want to double up on the quantities, then purchase a full pork carcass but instruct the butcher to split the carcass vertically down the spine. You can do this yourself, but it is logistically difficult if not physically a significant workout to do this at home.