This Little Piggy Came Home

This morning went and picked up the processed pork from the hog we bought a couple of weeks ago.  The farmer who sold it to us estimated it at around 250 pounds live weight, but it must have been closer to 300 pounds, as the hanging weight (the weight after it has been gutted and bled out) was 209 pounds.  The standard rule for pork is that hanging weight is about 70% of live weight.

The amount of "usable" pork I brought home was about 175 pounds.  That includes neckbones, heart, liver and quite a bit of fat -- I'll render some lard from the fat, and it's possible that I'll eat the liver (no one else here will), but the heart and the rest of the "scrap" will eventually be made into homemade cat food.

That leaves about 150 pounds of truly edible meat.  The cost of the hog was $250, the cost of processing (including curing and smoking the hams, hocks and bacon) was $193.  Divide that by 150 and you get 2.95 per pound for hormone-free, antibiotic- free, humanely-raised pork.  If you count in the fat, organs and scrap, it brings it down to $2.53 per pound.  Either way, not bad.

Here's what a 300 pound hog might look like in your freezer.  Note that cuts are often a matter of choice.  I opted for baby back ribs and boneless whole loin.  I wouldn't have been able to get those if I'd opted for bone-in chops or the fancy pork crown roast.  I can't wait to eat some of this pig a little later this week.

150-175 pounds of pork in the world's ugliest (and not so nice-smelling) freezer. 
Square box of white powder is baking soda.

Cured and smoked bacon - 17 packages - 17 pounds total
Cured and smoked jowl (jaw bacon) - 2 packages - 1.25 pounds total
Cured and smoked ham hocks - 6 packages - 6.75 pounds total
Cured and smoked ham (shank portion) - 2 packages - 18 pounds total
Cured and smoked ham (butt portion) - 2 packages - 18.5 pounds total
Seasoned breakfast sausage - 12 packages - 13 pounds total

Shoulder roasts - 4 packages - 15 pounds total
Ground pork - 12 packages - 13.25 pounds total
Spareribs - 2 packages - 5.25 pounds total
Loin back ribs (baby back ribs) - 2 packages - 3 pounds total
Whole tenderloin* - 2 packages - 10.5 pounds total
True tenderloin** - 2 packages - 2.75 pounds total
Pork steaks - 4 packages - 13.75 pounds total
Boneless loin chops - 8 packages - 9.75 pounds total

Neck bones - 2 packages - 3 pounds total
Liver - 4 packages - 3.5  pounds total
Heart - 1 package - .5 pound total
Fat for lard and scrap - 2 packages - 18 pounds total


* I usually see this in store sold as "Whole Pork Loin".
** I usually see this in the store sold as "Tenderloin".