The Pig & I

If you were to tell me I was crazy for buying a whole pig just weeks after stocking my larder with a half-cow, you wouldn't get any argument from me. This whole ordeal has been mismanaged from day one, but it turned out okay in the end.

It all started when I went a-searching for bulk meat at a local farmer's market. I browsed around for a while and ended up talking at length with a pig farmer from Marion. I gave a verbal agreement to buy a pig and offered to mail in a check. He told me not to worry about it, since the demand for their meat was high right now. I got the impression that if I didn't pony up there would be other takers. So I was fine with that. In the weeks afterwards, my cow came in and I was knee-deep in beef livers and rump roasts. Suddenly, the phone rings and I'm told my hog is "getting ready," and they are anxious for my payment. Very anxious. Apparently, they aren't that happy with verbal agreements, and they guy who made that arrangement was given a talking-to.

I had the grounds to walk away, but against my better judgement I caved to their pressure and bought the pig. Then came the conversation with the meat processor (even though I bought the meat in Columbus and the pig was from Marion, the meat processor they use is located at least a half-hour's drive in the opposite direction in Galion, but who's complaining). They were set and ready to smoke my pig with nitrates from top to bottom, until I pulled in the reigns. I told him I bought a "naturally raised pig". The guy told me that's true for the way the pig is raised, but he needs to use some chemicals in the processing. It seems too obvious to have to come out and say that that defeats the purpose, but there I was. The guy gave a long argument about why nitrates/nitrites are essential to the production of bacon and that they aren't that unhealthy in the first place. I'll consider those points for the future, but for now I'm going-all natural.

My pig does not meet anywhere near the same criteria for quality that the cow has. It was raised on non-organic corn and beans, rather than pasture fed. Pasture-fed pigs are quite rare these days. But there was a time when pork was a red meat instead of the white/gray color it now has. That has everything to do with diet. It is kinda like the way farm-raised salmon has to be artificially colored pink, because the diet they are fed won't give the pink color they have in the wild. (Don't believe me? Check the label next time you buy salmon, and it'll say something like "pigment added".) Pasture-raised pork is red, grain/bean-fed is white. But overall, my pig was well-raised and hopefully had some pasture time. I don't remember all the specifics, but I remember that the way it was raised was pretty good. The meat and processing are still of a high quality compared to the garbage in conventional grocery stores. Driving 1.5 hours each way to get the pig wasn't very fuel-efficient, either (not sure how that compares to the fuel usage of store-bought pigs, though).

Because of my insistence on not getting any added nitrates or nitrites in my meat, I took everything as plain as can be. That includes the bacon. Although I can't really call it bacon. Without the curing and smoking process, bacon is just really a lump of gristle. By itself, it cooks into a grey rubbery band of fat in the pan. I got packages of what looks like bacon, but its called "fresh side" and its the unprocessed meat. Bacon is really quite the invention, and it takes some work to make this "fresh side" look and taste like what we know of as bacon.

First, the side is packed in salt and "cured", often for several weeks. The salt sucks moisture out of the meat which condenses the meat and thus the flavor. It is also packed in sugar, as well. After that, it is coated in nitrates/nitrites and smoked. Even in traditional times, the nitrat/ites have been present in the smoking of bacon in "saltpetre". Without it, the meat would spoil in the worst possible way (botulism) while it is smoked.

What I got looks and tastes in absolutely no way like bacon. Seeing bacon in its natural color and shape may make you re-think eating it if you have any aversion to fat. However, I took some of this fresh side and threw lots of salt and sugar on it and left it in the fridge over night. In the morning, it cooked up nicely and after a while even took on a crispy, bacon-like coating. I'd go as far as to say it tasted like bacon. Some say you can't get a bacon-y taste without the smoking, but I think I did alright. The only problem was that it was beyond salty. I needed to throw out the salt that it was packed in. Other than that, I think it was fine.

In other news, I took packages of ground pork and loaded it up with spices to make sausage patties. Salt, pepper, paprika and a clove of garlic started it off. My mom and I had a good time with this. We also threw some "Italian Seasoning" on some of them (Erin's recommendation) and they turned out great. The meat was fresh and tasted great. Never knew sausage could be so easy, just one more item they make you think you can't make on your own, but it was exceptionally easy.