I brought home a whole hog this afternoon. My part-time employer (I drive a semi two days a week) also feeds thousands of pigs, and had some “culls” that can’t go to regular processing plants. This one had a large belly rupture but was otherwise ok.
I went to the barn with my tractor, a chain and a sharp knife. They had the critter separated and in a small pen. Once we were ready, it got a captive bolt in the brain (like a stud driver for concrete nails), we lifted it by a hind leg, and I cut the jugular to bleed it.
After that, I rolled it in the bucket, drove home, then gutted and skinned it. It’s hanging in the cold part of my shop; we’ll cut and grind it this weekend.
Son 2 wants to try makin’ bacon, so he gets the belly. He will probably get the tenderloin and half of the ribs, also. Son 1 will get a boneless loin, the rest of the ribs and some roast. We’ll keep a loin, some roasts and we’ll split the ground meat three ways. Only the ribs will have bones; all else is boneless.
Both sons have pellet grills and are avid carnivores.
Sister-in-law has an electric grinder that we’re picking up Saturday morning, so grinding will be relatively simple.
JB