We show and tell what half a butchered hog looks like in this popular video. After wondering ourselves, we laid out half the meat from a recent butchering and explain the amounts of different cuts that came home.
We began with a 238# pig that ended up at a hanging weight of 170#. The cuts of meat that came home from the whole pig weighed in at 121# with an additional 23# of lard and 4# of organs.
For everyone considering buying half a hog from a local producer, we encourage you to watch this video to get an idea of what you will be taking home. While quantities and amounts of cuts will vary based on breed, feed, weight, environment, and butcher; this is a great starting point for the first time purchaser.
Buying local and from a trusted source creates a shorter path from farm to table, giving you the freshest product available. Knowing how your food was raised has the added benefit of keeping close connections with the land that sustains us all.
