So I was on the mainland yesterday all day. I went to pick up the–I almost wrote ingredients–supplies for the Polytunnel. But I also went to secure the Brisket for The Great Corned Beef Experiment, coming to a Gastrocast Episode soon. While I was heading to the butcher shop I thought I might as well get a piece of pig so I could take place in the great, world-wide, pig blogging event to what ever extent I could.
Easier said than done. I had, of course asked about pork belly while I was on the phone to the butcher to order the brisket. As I heard the reply to the affirmative and heard that they had large cuts like that on hand regularly, I felt confident all would be well. I had visions of halved pigs hanging in the cooler awaiting a butcher to carve off an 8 pound section of belly complete with skin, bones and covering membrane for me. However, the reality was not as good as the fiction.
My idea was to cure the pork belly–where bacon usually comes from–in the same manner as the Corned Beef Brisket. In fact, in the same cure plus Juniper Berries. The idea was for a sort of quasi bacon dish to come out in the end. Perhaps roasting the whole belly piece after a few days. I didn’t know what would exactly happen. The key, though, was to get hold of some pig.
While, I got to the butcher and secured my whole brisket–albeit a cryovaced one– and asked about the belly. The look of wonder was incredible. No they didn’t have any with skin on, and bones, etc. No they didn’t have any with skin on and no bones. They had some small pieces of skin off, trimmed belly ready to be sliced as green, uncured bacon. . . .While, where did the pork come from–"Oh we get it sent in, cryovaced, by the case." Oh, commercial, quick-grown pork. No whole pig carcasses haning in the cooler? What happened to the local stuff. . . ? Never get it in. Shit.
I pay for the brisket–reluctantly–and leave crest fallen. My newly found butcher wonder turns out to be only a slight improvement over buying the meat at Costco or the Grocery store. I drive off.
After some grocery shopping I have a brain flash. I know of another butcher–not nearly as far away as the first. Surely they’ll have some pig meat for me. I head for the hills. Way out on a country land, almost on their own farm, in the middle of nowhere is the butcher. I pull up and talk with the owner. He checks for pork belly. Nope–just some which isn’t his to sell from a farmer up the road. "Call him and tell him I’ll buy. . . ." my plea fell on deaf ears. He was too busy trying to sell me some revolting beer brat beef sausages. He too gets in the cryovaced pig meat when it’s needed. We talked bacon making and beef corning a few minutes before I ask him about what it takes for them to USDA approved Slaughter my own animals. He gladly tells me and gives me the prices–not so bad. As I drove off I had to restrain myself from heading further South to the pig farm where I know I can buy piglets. . . I want my dream of pork belly.
Unfortunately, where I live, that dream is not viable. Not until I raise my own pork or go in on a neighbors pigs. But at this point I am wanting too much control over the flavor of the meat. I know some of the pig farmers around here raise good meat, but they coop their pigs up in too small an area for my taste, and some feed them all kinds of cooked garbage–literally. The USDA’s recommendations from 50 years ago still echo in their heads every time their sow whelps. . . . .
Fear not though. Pig Blogging should not be without pig cookery. I got some pork loin from near the shoulder and have roasted it. I wish I had brined it before hand because this is commercial pork. . .but I didn’t. I give you–sorry no photos–Pork Roast with Sauerkraut.
In the bottom of a casserole spread a layer of sauerkraut–well drained. Slice an onion and scatter over the top. Cover this with a handful of barley and season well. Pour almost a whole pint of cider–the good, well flavored hard kind–over this. Add some crushed juniper berries if you wish and top with a seasoned pork loin. Some sage would not go amiss. Roast at 325 F for about 2 hours–depending on the size of the loin. Serve it with some roasted spuds.
Not exactly the height of Gastronomy, but it was just the thing to come into after a day–the first non-rainy, warm and sunny one in months–of working on the poly tunnel.
Don’t forget to check out what the other pig bloggers are doing. And tune in for The Great Corned Beef Experiment later in the week.
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