You have reached the end of your work, and now is the time to reap your reward with hearty and tasteful meals. The range of uses with pork is almost limitless and maybe only by your imagination. You have butchered your own animal, you have cut apart the carcass, you have preserved much of the meat for later use, and now you can begin to experiment with cooking.
This chapter will focus on different styles of cooking in relation to using pork. Because the number of recipes is almost endless, we will explore some of the more common ones but provide a framework for alterations as you proceed.
PIG’S BRAIN
At the time of this writing, there is no scientific evidence available that eating the brains from pigs is detrimental to your health or can produce a food-borne illness. In fact, they can be found in specialty markets and can be used as a stir-fry staple. Perhaps not such a favorite in the United States, but that is mainly due to familiarity and acceptance. Although pig brains can be safely eaten, they do need to be prepared carefully.
To precook the brains, first wash them thoroughly in cold water and then allow them to soak in a large bowl, covered with cold water, for 1 to 2 hours. Place in a pot. Add 2 quarts of water, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar, and any desired seasonings. (The acid helps to keep the brains white and firm.) Simmer for 20 minutes and drain.
PIG’S HEART
The heart can be used but is generally less tender than the liver. It has an excellent flavor when cooked with moist heat, chopped, and added with other ingredients to casseroles, or ground up to use in sausage making. Another variation of a pig heart is to slice it open, fill it with dressing, stitch it shut with cooking thread, and then roast it with moist heat.
TONGUE
Tongue can be used fresh, pickled, corned, or smoked. Smoked or pickled tongue may require soaking several hours before cooking. Tongue should be cooked slowly in liquid until tender. Then remove the skin and cut away the roots that attach it to the jaw.
For fresh tongue, first cover it with water in a cooking pan and add 1 teaspoon salt for each quart of water added. Then cover tightly and simmer until tender. Allow 1 to 2 hours for a pork tongue.
If the tongue has been pickled, place it in a cooking pan and cover with cold water. Then heat to boiling. Pour off the water and cover with fresh water. Cover tightly and simmer 3 to 4 hours or until tender.
Smoked tongue should be placed in a cooking pan and covered with cold water. Then heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover tightly. Then simmer 4 hours or until tender.
PIG’S KIDNEY
The kidneys are high in protein content and highly nutritious. They can be broiled, skewered, or sliced or chopped to be included in casseroles or stews. They should be sliced open and thoroughly washed on the insides before using.
PIG’S LIVER
The liver metabolizes sugars into glucose that provides energy to the pig’s body systems. It should have a bright, healthy look and be completely free of abscesses in order to use it. The liver is a versatile byproduct that can be sliced and fried fresh or frozen for later use. It can also be ground up and used in sausage making, pan loaves, or spreads.
LUNGS
You can eat pig lungs solely as a dish by themselves or ground up for inclusion in sausage making.
Whichever option you choose, the lungs must be washed and cleaned thoroughly inside and out. The easiest way to do this is to slice each lung open into halves, making four pieces. Use clean water to rinse and rub the inside cavities. Dry off with clean towels and place on a hard cutting surface. Use a food mallet to beat the pieces and remove most of the air that may be trapped inside. Trim out the main bronchi and any cartilaginous parts. You should be left with four even-sized pieces. You can then slice them and use like a pork roast since it is roughly about the same consistency and firmness. You can also cut it into cubes to mix with sausage.
PIG STOMACH
Your pig’s stomach is likely to have feed material in it, such as grains and grass, since it was likely eating until shortly before you butchered it. This means you will need to thoroughly clean out the stomach contents before using it.
• Begin by rinsing the stomach inside and outside to remove any particles attached to it.
• Next, vigorously rub table salt over the entire exterior surface.
• To keep stomach intact, make a cut about 4 inches long in one end of the stomach and turn the stomach inside out, or slice the stomach into two halves.
• Rinse thoroughly with cold water and then let drain.
• Sprinkle the entire interior surface with salt and rub in vigorously.
• Let sit for 15 minutes.
• Rinse well under running water or in a bowl of clean water and then let drain.
• Use a table knife to scrape the stomach’s interior side to remove any fats and other impurities on the lining.
• Rinse with cold water.
• Repeat the above steps until any stomach odor is gone. It may take two to three repeats.
• When the smell is gone, leave the stomach intact or slice it in half, making two pieces.
• Bring a pot of water to boiling and add the stomach pieces. Boil for 5 minutes to cook away any slimy impurities. (The stomach should be a pale, milky color when finished.)
• Drain the stomach pieces and let cool. Dry with a clean paper towel.
• Package and freeze or use within 2 days if not frozen.
PIG’S HEAD
After removing the head, follow these steps:
• Rinse the head well with cold water and pat dry.
• Place the head in a colander in the sink and pour boiling water over the inside of neck to remove any particles.
• Slice the underside of head and rub half of the recipe mixture below into the opening.
• Rub the remaining mixture onto the skin. Place the head upright on a rack in a large baking pan.
• Bake at 375ºF for 1 1/2 hours.
• Lower the heat to 320ºF and cook for 2 more hours, or until cooked through.
• Baste the skin well every 30 minutes with the honey-water mixture.
• When finished baking, remove to a platter and garnish.
• Slice the meat into pieces and serve with sweet vegetables and a sweet sauce.
PIG SPLEEN
Before cooking the spleen:
• Wash it thorough in cold water and pat dry.
• Lay it on a clean cutting board and trim off the outer membrane.
BONES AND MARROW
The bones are useful for the marrow they contain, which can be used for soup, stocks, or additional flavor in other dishes.
BLOOD
No fewer than thirty dishes worldwide use blood in the cookery in one form or another. Only one is included here—black pudding—while blood sausage is included in the sausage section of this book. If you’re so inclined, you can check into the uses of blood in creating other unique meals. Black pudding has long been a staple of Irish and British households, while blood sausage has a worldwide history.
PIG TAIL AND EARS
Try using the tail and ears for crispy treats, much like bacon.
ROASTED PIG TAIL
With only one tail to work with per pig, you may have to go to a market to acquire more.
PIG FEET
There are many recipes for using pig feet. The following are only a few that can help you create interesting and unusual dishes.
PIG INTESTINES
Pig intestines will need intensive cleaning to remove any pungent odors and tastes before they are edible. The cleaning isn’t impossible but is more difficult than with many other pig parts.
PIG SNOUT AND LIPS
The pig’s lips can be pan-fried or used along with the snout in stir-fries and soups.
PORK SKIN
The skin of the pig is often called the pork rind, and when fried or roasted, it is typically referred to as pork scratchings or pork cracklings. The rind is sometimes used in sausage making to help improve consistency. The tough skin of a pig can be made edible by a two-step process of rendering and drying it, and then frying what’s left.
HEADCHEESE
One alternative for using the pig’s head is to make headcheese. This in not cheese derived from milk but a meat jelly that can be made from a pig head. The eyes, ears, and brains are removed before the head is placed in a large pot or kettle and slowly boiled for 4 or 5 hours. Herbs such as bay leaves and vegetables such as carrots and onions are usually added to enhance the flavor, and sometimes the hocks and knuckles are added as well. Any meat scraps that have been left over from trimmings that you don’t want to use for sausage, or that can be dedicated to this dish, can also be added. Gristly parts that offer no other alternative use and would benefit from long stewing can be added to this mix.
To begin, you should split the skull in half and remove the brains. Also remove both eyes and ears. Opening the skull bone will help in boiling it thoroughly. Set the brains aside, but keep them cool or chilled in a refrigerator, or freeze them for later use.
Place the head in a large pot or kettle, add water, and bring to a slow boil for 4 to 5 hours. You want the head completely submerged so the size of the pot or kettle will be determined by the size of the head. Splitting the head in half will allow you the option of boiling one side at a time, which may then require a smaller pot or kettle. The process will be the same, only it will double the time required to finish it.
After the slow boil is finished, remove all pieces and place them in a large, rimmed cooking tray. Allow to drain as you scrape the skin and meat off the skull. When scraped clean, move the skull bone off to the side and start to chop the meat into diced or large coarse pieces.
In a large loaf cooking dish, layer the cut meat pieces with the herbs and vegetables that were in the boiling water. Then add the cooling liquid to cover all the loaf contents.
The head and meat scraps you boil will have enough connective tissue to create a natural gelatin as the water boils off. This will be used to help bind the loaf together as it cools.
When you have finished filling your loaf dish, allow it to set in a cool or cold temperature overnight to solidify. It will set into a jelly that can then be sliced and served cold.
PIG BLADDER
After rinsing the bladder and allowing it to sit in a salt brine for a minimum of 12 hours, thoroughly clean it by rinsing and scrubbing the insides before adding any ingredients.
After mixing and stuffing the contents into the bladder, it should be stitched shut on both open ends with cooking thread. You can poach it in boiling water. The insides will not come in contact with the water, and the juices from the meat will stay inside the bladder and make the stuffing very moist.
PIG UTERUS
The pig’s uterus can be used in stir-fry dishes. Try the following.
RENDERING PORK LARD
The same process is used for rendering the two types of pork fat: back fat and leaf fat. Depending on the amount of fat you plan to render, you should allow for a time period of 3 to 8 hours. This will also depend on how much fat you process at one time. You can render all the fat at once or over several days, if you choose. But keep the fat you don’t use right away either chilled or frozen until you do. In fact, lard is easiest to work with when it is frozen or at least well chilled.
Equipment for Rendering Fat
• Knife and cutting board
• Slow cooker, skillet, or kettle
• Wood cooking spoon
• Ladle
• Cheesecloth or fine sieve
• Wide-mouth glass canning jars with new lids
• Long-sleeve oven gloves
• Protective eyewear
First, a few safety rules. Although children should be part of your butchering process so they can learn and appreciate where their meat comes from, having them around while cooking fat can be dangerous. Keep young children away from your knives and stove once you begin your processing. Spitting fat or one accidental spillage of hot fat can cause severe burns or life-threatening injuries. You will need to focus on the process, and having children around may cause distractions. Keeping them away during the cooking is the best and safest policy.
But it’s not only children who can be injured. You will be the one on the front line and working with hot fat, so you also need to take precautions. Use protective eyewear (no, it won’t make you look silly) and oven gloves that have long sleeves to protect your forearms from spattering fat. Also, don’t forget your legs and feet. Wearing long pants and shoes that completely cover the tops of your feet will be added protection from any drops of hot fat.
Now we’re ready to start.
The Rendering Process
As a rule, 1 pound of unrendered pork fat will yield about 1 pint of rendered lard. So, if you have 20 pounds of fat to process, you will get roughly 20 pints or about 2 1/2 gallons of lard. Here’s how to start processing it:
Begin by cutting the fat into 1/2-inch cubes. This will allow for more surface area and allow each piece to be heated evenly.
Once you have a sufficient amount cut up—this will be determined by the size of your slow cooker, skillet, or kettle—you can place the cubed fat in it.
Add a 1/2 cup of water or enough to cover the bottom of the unit before you turn on the heat. The reason for the water, which will evaporate during the heating process, is to help transfer the heat from the stove into the cold fat without scorching or burning it. Metal skillet pans or a kettle will transfer heat from the stove coils to the fat rapidly. Your goal is to get the fat as hot as possible as quickly as possible without burning it. Lard has a rather low smoking temperature, smokes rapidly, and produces an irritating smoke. Like all animal fats, lard absorbs strong odors from foods.
Once the fat on the bottom begins to melt, it will transfer the heat and replace the function of the water. Keeping a lid on the skillet, kettle, or slow cooker during the first 10 minutes will trap the heat in and help raise the initial temperature quickly. It is generally best to begin with medium heat regardless of whether you use a skillet, kettle, or slow cooker.
Once the fat has started to liquefy, you can remove the lid to allow steam or moisture to evaporate. You want the fat to simmer, not boil, so monitor the fat and temperature closely.
Never leave your cooking fat unattended. This is one reason to block out a set amount of time and dedicate it to this task. Should fat come into contact with a stove’s coils for any reason, it could ignite into a grease fire, which can have disastrous consequences.
As the fat cooks down, the volume decreases. When the mixture is about half liquid and half solid, it is time for you to remove some of the liquid to allow the remaining fat pieces to cook down more easily.
To separate the solids from the liquid, you can use a slotted ladle or spoon, a fine mesh colander or strainer, or cheesecloth. You need a heat-resistant bowl in which to collect the liquid lard.
Strain the pieces from the liquid and place them in another heat-resistant bowl. Pour the liquid through the strainer or cheesecloth to collect any solid pieces and bits that are not fat.
After draining the liquid fat, replace the large fat pieces back into the pan, skillet, or pot to allow them to heat and liquefy as the rendering process continues. You can add more at this stage or start later with a fresh batch of fat cubes. As the pieces melt, repeat the draining process, but make sure the bowl has enough room to hold what you pour. After the first batch is finished, you can start a second, if you’ve allowed time for it.
The solid bits and pieces that you’ve strained or filtered out are minute pieces of tissue that had helped to bind the fat together in the pig as well as some meat that was trimmed along with the fat when cutting up the carcass. This can be set aside and used for cracklings or fed to your chickens or large pets.
Once you have completed the process of rendering the fat, you should allow the liquid to cool before pouring it into canning jars. These jars are adaptable to high-heat temperatures if the glass is raised in temperature incrementally. Pouring boiling fat into a cold glass jar is too extreme a temperature rise too quickly and likely will compromise the jar’s integrity, either shattering or cracking it. Allowing the fat to cool will reduce the differences in the two temperatures and make it safer to pour.
Using wide-mouth jars will allow you to use a clean funnel to help pour the liquid in it. Also, it will be easier to spoon out the solidified lard for use if the mouth is wider.
When it’s hot, lard is clear and usually has a slightly yellow glow. But it will turn snow white as it cools in your refrigerator.
Naturally rendered lard has a long shelf life if kept in a cool, dry place out of sunlight. In well-sealed jars, it can be kept for extended periods. However, if you don’t use it quickly, it is better to refrigerate it until it’s used up. Rendered lard can be kept in your freezer almost indefinitely.
Fill the jars about three-quarters full with liquid fat. Don’t fill it completely to the top. Allow it to cool completely and then seal with a lid and screw on the top ring. By letting it cool completely before sealing, you will allow heat and any moisture to escape without building up any pressure inside the jar.
If you plan to freeze lard in jars, remember to allow enough of an empty space at the top so there is room for possible expansion as the fat freezes. If there is not enough room, any expansion may crack the jar. This is not disastrous because the lard will still be good. But if it happens, be sure to inspect the lard for any possible glass shards once you begin to use it.
After you have finished rendering all the fat you have available, you will be able to use it for cooking and baking, and your pig will have helped.
