Gutting and Butchering
At 4:08 in
Live off the Land! How to kill and process a small hog for smoking (graphic)
What happens here
After the hair is removed, the pig is ready for gutting and butchering. Use the specialized Outdoor Edge knife to make a careful incision along the centerline of the pig's belly, taking care not to puncture any internal organs (intestines). Gently open the abdominal cavity and remove the heart, lungs, trachea, and esophagus. Cut out the rectal organs cleanly. Rinse the cavity thoroughly with a hose. Proceed to cut off the feet and tail. Then, use the knife and a bone saw (or a strong knife for joints) to separate the carcass into primal cuts, such as shoulders, backstraps, ribs, and ham. The video shows the ham still attached but ready to be separated.
Goal: Prepare primal cuts of pork from the cleaned carcass.
Tools and materials
- Bone Saw — Cutting through bones to separate larger cuts of meat (implied)
- Hose — Rinsing the pig carcass and abdominal cavity
- Outdoor Edge Knife Outdoor Edge — Making precise cuts for gutting and butchering
- Pot — Collecting butchered parts for subsequent smoking
- Pig Carcass Kunekune — The cleaned pig ready for butchering