gary@gatech.edu (Gary Coffman) (04/18/91)
In article <531@erb1.engr.wisc.edu> hunter@CCC.NERSC.GOV (NAME ) writes: > > I am hoping to go pig hunting one of these days and I have a >question about cleaning them. A book that I have says that you need to >dip them in a barrel of scalding hot water and scrape the bristles off >before skinning them. Now, I very seldom take a barrel of scalding >hot water with me when I go hunting. Is this really necessary, and if >so, why? That's the way we did it on the farm. Boiling water loosens the bristles enough that you can cleanly scrape them off. You don't really "skin" a hog. The skin is edible. You merely scrape the animal, removing the hair and the tough outer layer of skin. As you proceed with the butchering, you trim excess fat and skin from the animal and toss them in the rendering pot. The lard renders out and the bits of skin float to the top where they are skimmed. These "cracklings" or fried pigskin are often enjoyed on the spot by the slaughtering crew. It would be a good idea to visit a farmer during slaughtering time and learn how it's done. Gary