Slaughter houses are making a killing.

[Beekissed]

Steak, Burger and Fajita which is the smaller stuff im Too lazy to grind. It all eats just fine.

That right there is how we approach meat. Never been one for fancy cuts and packaging. We strip the back strap and butterfly the steaks, then freeze them...those don't stick around long enough to worry about those. We may or may not freeze a neck roast or we will just as often remove the meat and grind it, jerk it or chunk it.

Since we can't depend on the power in these parts, we've taken to canning up most meats anyway so that nothing goes to waste if the power is off for a couple of weeks. Canning it immediately tenderizes all meat and tendon, seals in the natural juices and flavor and makes for an easy meal any time and for any recipe~no freezer burn, no thawing time, no worries about old meat at the bottom of the freezer, etc. We even can our ground meat now...since doing that, we find the meat much more moist, much more flavorful and much easier to get into recipes.

We've always hung our animals in a tree, yanked off the hide with the use of the truck, lawn tractor or ATV, and stripped the carcass right there in the tree, quartering and chilling the quarters in the extra fridge if the weather wasn't cool enough. The dogs get the head, legs, spinal column and any bones removed from the meat...mostly those scraps are what we store in the freezer, as it doesn't matter if those are lost to a power out.

Offal can be frozen until you can get it out to portion it out for the dogs or even for making homemade dog food, like Bay does.

Here's a vid that was made in my state wherein folks come together each year to butcher hogs...there's things on it I wouldn't do(these boys don't seem to know how to back a pig into a truck), or couldn't do, as we have no tractors and butchering equipment here, but overall it's just home butchering in a very plain way.

 

[Bicoastal]

I'm curious as to why someone would not adapt and learn to do their own butchering, especially in times like these. The alternative is what, exactly? Wait for a butcher date a few years down the road?

Hard times are when people need to get together and pool resources, help one another overcome obstacles and learn old skills. What is wrong with processing meat in a DIY setting?

With age comes wisdom, right? Our supplier -and friend- says he's too old to be doing this at home anymore. Plus we have state regulation for sales. Some are sold whole or halves to family and friends but it's technically illegal from home without inspected facilities and these days that feels like a bigger risk.

Even then, ten hogs between three people? Not happening.

 

[Beekissed]

With age comes wisdom, right? Our supplier -and friend- says he's too old to be doing this at home anymore. Plus we have state regulation for sales. Some are sold whole or halves to family and friends but it's technically illegal from home with inspected facilities and these days that feels like a bigger risk.

Even then, ten hogs between three people? Not happening.

Maybe have a good ol' fashioned group hog killing...advertise for others to buy in and come butcher their own hogs along with y'all. Or just sell the hogs outright to folks who want to do home butchering? On the WV FB page there are folks selling hogs left and right, so there must be some folks out there wanting to butcher their own.

 

[Alaskan]

Even then, ten hogs between three people? Not happening.

Just the thought makes my back hurt.

Maybe have a good ol' fashioned group hog killing...advertise for others to buy in and come butcher their own hogs along with y'all. Or just sell the hogs outright to folks who want to do home butchering? On the WV FB page there are folks selling hogs left and right, so there must be some folks out there wanting to butcher their own.

I think there is a place up in Fairbanks that sells you the live animal... but has all of the "stuff" on site that you need to process.... so you show up, pick out your animal... walk it over to where the butchering station sits, and have at it.

I read of one family that did a pig party...invited a bunch of friends to come over and all butcher together.

Our neighbor once decided to slaughter their own cow... got started... realized they knew nothing, and didn't even have a saw.... so knocked on our door so we could "help" them.

My grandparents would get awesome deer sausage in exchange for hunting on the property.

And as a kid, I was always amazed that we NEVER butchered a deer by ourselves. Always called the cousins ... and they just came right on over, every time, and helped us butcher.

In hindsight... wow.... nice cousins.

 

[Beekissed]

Just the thought makes my back hurt.


I think there is a place up in Fairbanks that sells you the live animal... but has all of the "stuff" on site that you need to process.... so you show up, pick out your animal... walk it over to where the butchering station sits, and have at it.

I read of one family that did a pig party...invited a bunch of friends to come over and all butcher together.

Our neighbor once decided to slaughter their own cow... got started... realized they knew nothing, and didn't even have a saw.... so knocked on our door so we could "help" them.

My grandparents would get awesome deer sausage in exchange for hunting on the property.

And as a kid, I was always amazed that we NEVER butchered a deer by ourselves. Always called the cousins ... and they just came right on over, every time, and helped us butcher.

In hindsight... wow.... nice cousins.

I hope you got a lot of the beef you "helped" them butcher. That's a tough job.

A pic or two of Mom helping me butcher a young heifer that we butchered at home...granted, not a huge beef, but we'd do it the same with a big one as a little one.

Caping the hide to insert a hammer, tying off with a rope...

A slow pull with a lawn tractor and the hide just zips right off...

Mom and I have been doing all the processing for our large family, from gutting to canning, of all the animals both domestic and wild since I was just 10 yrs old. Mom is now 86 and I've since let her retire from that job.

My Mom, then in her 70s, helping me get this beast from standing to food with just sawsall, knives, ropes, etc.

Don't know how it happened, but butchering has mostly been up to the women in my family. The men do the killing(except for the chickens, which we ladies do), we do the rest.

 

[Alaskan]

I hope you got a lot of the beef you "helped" them butcher. That's a tough job.

A pic or two of Mom helping me butcher a young heifer that we butchered at home...granted, not a huge beef, but we'd do it the same with a big one as a little one.

Caping the hide to insert a hammer, tying off with a rope...

View attachment 80530

A slow pull with a lawn tractor and the hide just zips right off...

View attachment 80531

Mom and I have been doing all the processing for our large family, from gutting to canning, of all the animals both domestic and wild since I was just 10 yrs old. Mom is now 86 and I've since let her retire from that job.

My Mom, then in her 70s, helping me get this beast from standing to food with just sawsall, knives, ropes, etc.

View attachment 80532

Don't know how it happened, but butchering has mostly been up to the women in my family. The men do the killing(except for the chickens, which we ladies do), we do the rest.

Very nice!

 

[Alasgun]

@Beekissed, thanks for this and as they say “a picture’s worth a thousand words”! Besides, it would take more than a thousand words to adequately describe your sweet ole Momma’s smile!!
From all these miles away she appears to be a happy, contented self assured soul!

 

[Sheepshape]

I just thought I'd give a UK perspective here.
Home butchering is illegal. All animals have to be humanely slaughtered at abattoirs. The vast majority are stunned prior to slaughter (non-stun slaughter has been taking place at a very small number of halal meat producers, but I think, is now banned)
Abattoirs are widespread throughout the country.
In Britain, compliance with 'Farm Assured' standards ensures that animals for slaughter will be taken and killed on the same day. Non-farm assured producers send animals to market where they will be slaughtered on the following day.
The system is in place to ensure humane slaughter of animals entering the food chain and generally runs very well (even in Covid lockdowns)

 

[Beekissed]

I just thought I'd give a UK perspective here.
Home butchering is illegal. All animals have to be humanely slaughtered at abattoirs. The vast majority are stunned prior to slaughter (non-stun slaughter has been taking place at a very small number of halal meat producers, but I think, is now banned)
Abattoirs are widespread throughout the country.
In Britain, compliance with 'Farm Assured' standards ensures that animals for slaughter will be taken and killed on the same day. Non-farm assured producers send animals to market where they will be slaughtered on the following day.
The system is in place to ensure humane slaughter of animals entering the food chain and generally runs very well (even in Covid lockdowns)

Even chickens? I can't imagine living somewhere that such laws exist! Makes one extremely dependent upon the government for their food, doesn't it?

 

[Grizzlyhackle]

Craigslist I saw a place in Hagerstown MD that will sell you the animal and then has the set up and help you butcher. Too far from home for me. 3 hour ride one way. They listed everything as available to buy cows down to birds and rabbits.