I'm 60-now...and I grew up in the Appalachian mountains, as my family did before me (my grandfather, who raised me, was 11th generation from the Blufield, WV area). I remember I was 8, maybe 9, and he told me 'you're going with me to have hogs slaughtered today'. I didn't realize for a couple of years, why he wanted me to do this. There were two ANCIENT old brothers that lived about 8-miles from us...their barn looked like something from pre-Civil War. Their house was more a pioneer cabin than what you would know as an actual 'house'...and they had a TREMENDOUS set-up...for slaughtering hogs. As the old brothers worked, they were kind enough to talk me through EVERYTHING...'you use a .22Short to dispatch the pig in the head, as it's quick and doesn't tear anything up. it works 'every time'. Two men would grab a 400-lb pig and drag him out, squealing. dispatch him, but only after the scald-tank was ready. They would only slaughter on 'frost days', and the water had to be steaming. They didn't have a thermometer, they'd just throw the dispatched hog in the water, grab the body by the ear(s) and 'slide-pull'....hair comes off, the hog was hoisted out on a gantry. Never boil the water, they said...just 'steaming' is 'bout right'. 80-90 seconds later, hair came off, then they put me to 'scraping'....looked like a 200-year old 4-inch diameter discus...'scrape till those spots 'r gone, boy'...at the end, they wanted a piglet (we took 8 pigs to them, that day), or they wanted the hide, or they wanted $4 each that they had worked. We paid them $32, which I'm sure they drank up, later. We laid fresh thick muslin sheets in the bed of the truck, laid the meat out on it, went home, and salt boxed everything that my grandmother didn't want 'kept out fresh'. A few years later, I'd asked other kids in school, 'when do y'all kill yer hogs?' And they looked LOST. I told my grandfather about the conversation, and he replied, 'what you learned that day is a dying art...and my guess is, you'll be the last generation that ever understands the old ways'...He also made sure that he took me to a barn-raising, a cabin-building, a cold spring cellar building and a well-digging...THESE, my friends are REAL survival skills! As for 'exactly `145 degrees, exactly...funny...as a retired Marine now, I'm here to tell you the Philippinos see 170-182F as 'ideal', and it ALSO WORKS just as good. Those old brothers didn't have a thermometer to their name...their 'meter' was how easy that hair came off, checking it every 30-seconds after 1-minute for 'easy sloughing off'...I guess that's West Virginia 'calibration'...I still remember those hickory-smoked salt cured hams...which even at a year old, were still mighty tasty...every...single...year!
We do not have a vessel pig enough to dip our hog. Would you recommend pouring hot water over the pig, in sections? Some folks lay burlap sacks over the pig first, or lay towels over them. Will this work?
Oh my goodness, precisely the reason I'm watching ALL the videos I can find! I don't have a vessel large enough and I was told burlap....I NEED to know. LOL for real @ farmstead meatsmith
I was wondering if your elevation effects the temperature of the water?? Meaning at close to 4000 ft of altitude would you have to have different temperature than at close to sea level.
Elevation affects the boiling point of a liquid due to atmospheric pressure. Not necessarily affecting the temperature as 145 deg C is 145 deg C everywhere; but because you are higher in elevation, the atmospheric pressure is lower, thus the boiling point can be reached at a lower temperature.
You had me at Sisyphian. What a team as well. Her sensible questions bring out the best in you. And you explain the why of it. Not heard as good an explanation after watching several other vids on scald and scrape. Question: would there be merit in giving it a quick flame at the end to take care of stray hairs or does that blacken the skin too much?
I shave the remaining hairs with my knife, which I maintain to an uncommon degree of sharpitude. Torching the skin, though, is not a bad idea. And it is even okay to blacken it. Just scrub off the burnt hairs and charred blackness with a very coarse sponge and rinse. If blackened enough, the skin becomes edible and sweet, essential to the recipe for salo.
Thank you so much. I've smoked/cooked shoulders and ribs for hundreds of people at a few weddings but I've always been shy of doing a whole hog as a friend of mine didn't get rid of the hair and it ruined the entire bbq. All of it tasted like singed hair. Such a waste.
I'm 60-now...and I grew up in the Appalachian mountains, as my family did before me (my grandfather, who raised me, was 11th generation from the Blufield, WV area). I remember I was 8, maybe 9, and he told me 'you're going with me to have hogs slaughtered today'. I didn't realize for a couple of years, why he wanted me to do this. There were two ANCIENT old brothers that lived about 8-miles from us...their barn looked like something from pre-Civil War. Their house was more a pioneer cabin than what you would know as an actual 'house'...and they had a TREMENDOUS set-up...for slaughtering hogs. As the old brothers worked, they were kind enough to talk me through EVERYTHING...'you use a .22Short to dispatch the pig in the head, as it's quick and doesn't tear anything up. it works 'every time'. Two men would grab a 400-lb pig and drag him out, squealing. dispatch him, but only after the scald-tank was ready. They would only slaughter on 'frost days', and the water had to be steaming. They didn't have a thermometer, they'd just throw the dispatched hog in the water, grab the body by the ear(s) and 'slide-pull'....hair comes off, the hog was hoisted out on a gantry. Never boil the water, they said...just 'steaming' is 'bout right'. 80-90 seconds later, hair came off, then they put me to 'scraping'....looked like a 200-year old 4-inch diameter discus...'scrape till those spots 'r gone, boy'...at the end, they wanted a piglet (we took 8 pigs to them, that day), or they wanted the hide, or they wanted $4 each that they had worked. We paid them $32, which I'm sure they drank up, later. We laid fresh thick muslin sheets in the bed of the truck, laid the meat out on it, went home, and salt boxed everything that my grandmother didn't want 'kept out fresh'. A few years later, I'd asked other kids in school, 'when do y'all kill yer hogs?' And they looked LOST. I told my grandfather about the conversation, and he replied, 'what you learned that day is a dying art...and my guess is, you'll be the last generation that ever understands the old ways'...He also made sure that he took me to a barn-raising, a cabin-building, a cold spring cellar building and a well-digging...THESE, my friends are REAL survival skills! As for 'exactly `145 degrees, exactly...funny...as a retired Marine now, I'm here to tell you the Philippinos see 170-182F as 'ideal', and it ALSO WORKS just as good. Those old brothers didn't have a thermometer to their name...their 'meter' was how easy that hair came off, checking it every 30-seconds after 1-minute for 'easy sloughing off'...I guess that's West Virginia 'calibration'...I still remember those hickory-smoked salt cured hams...which even at a year old, were still mighty tasty...every...single...year!
thanks for posting
We do not have a vessel pig enough to dip our hog. Would you recommend pouring hot water over the pig, in sections? Some folks lay burlap sacks over the pig first, or lay towels over them. Will this work?
Oh my goodness, precisely the reason I'm watching ALL the videos I can find! I don't have a vessel large enough and I was told burlap....I NEED to know. LOL for real @ farmstead meatsmith
@FarmsteadMeatsmith
My dad has mentioned this to me that ole timers used burlap sacks
Was looking for exactly this resource. Local custom butchers lack scalding equipment where I live. Thank you!
I was wondering if your elevation effects the temperature of the water?? Meaning at close to 4000 ft of altitude would you have to have different temperature than at close to sea level.
Elevation affects the boiling point of a liquid due to atmospheric pressure. Not necessarily affecting the temperature as 145 deg C is 145 deg C everywhere; but because you are higher in elevation, the atmospheric pressure is lower, thus the boiling point can be reached at a lower temperature.
You had me at Sisyphian. What a team as well. Her sensible questions bring out the best in you. And you explain the why of it. Not heard as good an explanation after watching several other vids on scald and scrape.
Question: would there be merit in giving it a quick flame at the end to take care of stray hairs or does that blacken the skin too much?
I shave the remaining hairs with my knife, which I maintain to an uncommon degree of sharpitude. Torching the skin, though, is not a bad idea. And it is even okay to blacken it. Just scrub off the burnt hairs and charred blackness with a very coarse sponge and rinse. If blackened enough, the skin becomes edible and sweet, essential to the recipe for salo.
Thanks !! Best wishes from New Zealand.
What brand tools do you recommend to remove the pig hair
Thank you so much. I've smoked/cooked shoulders and ribs for hundreds of people at a few weddings but I've always been shy of doing a whole hog as a friend of mine didn't get rid of the hair and it ruined the entire bbq. All of it tasted like singed hair. Such a waste.
I heard ole timers used burlap sacks dipped in hot water.
You mention torch but then don’t tell us how
I use a razor.