Hog Slaughter, Hog Butchering, Hog Processing Workshop

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Hog Slaughter, Hog Butchering, & Hog Processing Workshop at Old Crow Ranch, Durham, Maine

April 29-May 1, 2016 (Fri, Sat, Sun)
$500 per person

Andy Lindberg of MeatME and Nate “Iggy” Brimmer of Giant’s Belly Education provide three days of informative, hands-on instruction in traditional slaughter, butchering and value-added processing, while Sean Emmons and Jake Anderson regale your senses with all manner of porky preparations from the kitchen. This spring we will team up with Old Crow Ranch in Durham, Maine who are breeding heritage Mangalitsa pigs, a Hungarian lard-type pig that is ideal for curing.

For more info, and to register for the hog butchering workshop, please visit: https://www.meatme.me/

**WHEN & WHERE**
Friday April 29 – Sunday May 1, 2016
Old Crow Ranch, Durham, Maine
https://www.oldcrowranch.com/

**HOW TO REGISTER**
Please register online at: https://www.meatme.me/
Or, with Nate “Iggy” Brimmer at: meat@riseup.net or (207)415-4458

**COST**
$500 per person for all three days. A steady stream of house made charcuterie, odd bits, and special treats to sample, as well as lunch and hot beverages, will be served each day.

*For more information* please call Iggy at 207.415.4458, or send email to: meat@riseup.net

**DETAILS**
*Day One:*
The first day of this workshop will showcase the humane harvest of pigs in the farmstead environment, and will provide hands-on training in traditional methods of outdoor scalding, scraping, dressing and chilling of the carcass.

*Day Two:*
The next day we will move inside and break down the entire pig using a hybrid of traditional seam-butchery and modern american-style butchering techniques. The focus of this day is on thinking creatively about how we part out the animal, so that we maximize the specific cuts that we are most excited about, while finding creative uses for the less popular parts of the animal.

*Day Three:*
On Sunday we will begin the process of turning our fresh pork into delicious, smoked, dry-cured, and preserved products. We will demonstrate proper sausage making techniques as well as focus on the various value-added products that can be made from the odd-bits. In addition to demonstrating a variety of recipes and techniques, we will discuss the science of curing meat, and address basic food-safety concerns.

Our hope is that we not only teach you techniques, but also how to think and problem solve so that you can apply what you learn at the workshop in the unique environment of your own home, farm, or restaurant.

**THE FOOD**
The Flying Flapjack Brothers will be working throughout the event to turn out an ongoing array of tasty treats for your gustatory pleasure! Their preparations draw from traditional recipes as well as creative innovations they have developed for these events to showcase the glory of all things pork. No part of the pig will be left unused!

**THE ANIMALS**
Old Crow Ranch raises and sells Mangalitsa pigs. The Mangalitsa is a Hungarian heritage breed of lard pig, that is ideal for curing. The extremely marbled meat has so much flavor it has been referred to as the “Kobe Beef” of pork. The firm, white lard that the Mangalitsa produces makes for superior pastries and baked goods, the whole muscle cuts are perfect for curing and air-drying, and the nutritional benefits of Mangalitsa meat are higher than those of commercially bred pigs.

**WHY**
This approach, wherein the choice of products produced is dependent on the micro-climates of each producer, for centuries yielded unique products in every village and farmstead, even when the same master recipe was followed. This is in direct opposition to the modern idea that every product can be made in every place. We believe strongly that the ubiquity of modern technology has made paupers of our palates. By spreading these skills throughout the grassroots we hope to rebuild a food system that is healthful, resilient, strongly place-defined, wildly diverse, and awesomely delicious.