home Floors

Pig structure diagram. How to properly cut a pork carcass: detailed technology and process diagram. Video - Pork cut

After slaughtering a pig, the carcass must be bled, skinned and cleaned as soon as possible. It is important to do everything quickly and according to the plan, since otherwise the meat will quickly spoil and will not be suitable for consumption.

Cutting a pork carcass is a simple process. It is enough just to watch a professional work a few times in order to cope with the task on your own.

Bleeding the carcass

This stage must be carried out extremely carefully, especially if the meat is subsequently subject to long-term storage or sale. The less blood remains in the carcass, the tastier, more tender and higher quality the meat will be. Pork is not cut without first bleeding.

There are several options for bleeding. When the pig is not slaughtered in the heart, it is turned on its side, the limbs are carefully tied and the throat is cut with a sharp knife. All the blood will flow out through the carotid artery after some time. A container is first placed to collect it, since blood is a valuable by-product that is used to prepare puddings, blood sausages, etc. If the blood will not be used in the future, then it is simply drained onto the ground and the butchering of the pig continues.

If the pig was killed by a blow to the heart, then it is hung up by its hind legs and the blood is also drained. Bleeding, in this case, occurs much faster, but the quality of the meat is somewhat worse, since a lot of blood accumulates in the chest. Only after opening it can you scoop it out, but still there are bloody clots on the walls, which are very difficult to remove.

The skin is rarely removed completely, as it adheres closely to the fat layer. In addition, lard is also used for consumption and sale. Therefore, the carcass is scorched with a torch or lamp, after which the top layer of skin with bristles is scraped off.

Options for cutting up a pig carcass

The scheme for cutting a pork carcass depends on the purpose for which the meat will be used. The most common options are:

cutting up the carcass for yourself;
pork cutting for sale.
cutting to obtain bacon and lard. In this case, it is necessary to distinguish between lard and lard: lard is the skin and soft subcutaneous fat up to 15 mm, lard is the skin and denser subcutaneous fat, more than 15 mm thick;
cutting the carcass for the purpose of salting and smoking meat;

Pork carcass cutting technology

For the first time, many people have quite natural questions: how to cut up a pig, what pattern to choose, what size the pieces should be, etc. There is no single rule - first the situation is established, and then the conditions.

For example, of course, it is much easier to process a pig in a suspended state, but such an opportunity is extremely rare. Therefore, most often the animal is butchered by laying it on its side; it is also bled beforehand. The scheme is selected depending on the purpose of the meat on a purely individual basis, but, basically, the main stages are the same (gutting, division into half carcasses). And the answers to questions about how to cut a half carcass, and what size the pieces should be, depend only on the availability of storage space.

Classic carcass cutting scheme

Butchering a pig begins with cutting off the head from the carcass. To do this, you should use a well-sharpened ax, since pigs have very hard cervical vertebrae and a dense collar of lard. After this, carefully drain the remaining blood. It will still not be possible to remove all the blood, since too much accumulates in the chest.
After the carcass has been beheaded, the so-called “apron”, which consists of fat and abdominal muscles, is cut out on the stomach with a knife. To do this, find a long white line on the sternum and make an incision along it, after which they penetrate inside with the middle and index fingers, move the organs away and widen the hole as carefully as possible. In addition, the hand controls the correctness of the incision, since this should not damage any internal organs.
The incision should go through the middle of the sternum, ending where the ribs meet.
Next in cutting the pig is evisceration, or removal of the internal organs. To do this, the esophagus is first bandaged on both sides so that when removed, food debris does not fall out of it. Next, the heart and lungs are carefully cut out and the diaphragm is removed. After this, the abdominal incision is further expanded and the stomach along with the intestines, liver and gall bladder are removed. The gallbladder must be removed very carefully, since the slightest leak of bile can cause the meat to become bitter and unsuitable for food.
After this, all internal fat is removed as much as possible, and the kidneys are removed. The bladder is a very delicate organ, so it should be held at the top to prevent it from bursting. Therefore, cutting a pig should be done without haste, since all these organs can be damaged even during autopsy.
The heart is an expensive and delicious by-product. It is cut in half and the blood that has already coagulated is removed.
The intestines are removed from undigested food and films, washed in hot water and salted.
The inside of the carcass is wiped with a dry cloth, since moisture will not only worsen the appearance of the meat, but will also significantly reduce its shelf life.
After finishing the gutting of the pork carcass, using a hacksaw or a small ax, divide the carcass into two half carcasses along the line of the spine.
Half carcasses are left in a cool place for 30-40 minutes so that the meat can “rest” and cool down a little.
As already mentioned, before cutting up a pig carcass, the head is separated from the body. The head can be left whole, or you can immediately disassemble it, separating the ears, snout and cheeks from it. The jaw and eyes are thrown out. A special saw is used to very carefully remove the brain.

Final dismantling of half carcasses

The cutting of a pig ends with each half carcass being divided into 6 parts: lard and bacon, front legs (then they are divided into a shoulder blade and a shank), hind legs (hams), brisket and loin. The ribs and spine are separated separately. The ridge is divided into several parts. Some of the vertebrae remain on the neck, some on the back, and the remaining vertebrae go separately along with the tail.

Each part is carefully wiped and sent for storage. Separately, you can whiten the meat, the purpose of which is to remove the fat mesh, films and excess fat.

Which parts of the carcass are considered the most delicious?

Despite the fact that pig cutting schemes are different, the opinion about which types of meat is considered the best is the same. The most delicious parts are located along the spine, and the closer they are to the tail, the juicier they are. The thing is that the muscles of the upper body are less susceptible to movement, so they turn out soft and juicy after cooking. Even the neck region of pigs is not subject to frequent movements due to their lifestyle.

Kira Stoletova

Pigs are considered highly productive farm animals. From one individual you can get 100 kg of selected meat. However, before selling meat and lard products, the animal must be butchered. The carcass of a piglet or an adult pig has similar cutting methods. The price of meat tenderloin depends on the breed of the animal and the quality of the cut.

If the pig carcass was cut up for sale incorrectly, then such a product will cost less. To correctly separate parts of a first-class pork carcass from second-class ones, you should use special schemes.

Types of cutting schemes for artiodactyls

First of all, you need to decide what the parts of the pig will be used for. The cutting of artiodactyls depends on the final sale of the product. There are several options:

for cooking at home;
for sale on the market;
for salting or smoking;
for lard.

If meat goes to market, the cuts must be even, and a certificate from a veterinarian is required to confirm the safety of the product. For home consumption, you can cut artiodactyls less carefully.

There are four most common schemes for cutting a carcass:

German;
English;
American;
Moscow.

According to the German scheme, the pork carcass is divided into 2 equal parts, after which they are divided into 8 cuts depending on the type of meat. The classification of parts according to the German scheme looks like this:

First grade - hams from the hind legs, lumbar section, cutlet part.
The second grade is hams from the forelimbs, brisket, and shoulder blades.
The third grade is belly.
The fourth grade is limbs, head.

Cutting an artiodactyl in English involves cutting a pig carcass into 4 parts. Each piece is named depending on its location:

head;
front cut;
central cut;
rear cut

The American method involves dividing the carcass into 2 longitudinal parts of the pig, after which each larger part is divided into 6 pieces:

head;
front ham;
sides;
back ham;
tenderloin with back part;
shoulder blades, shoulder part.

Also, cutting and boning a pork carcass in the American way distributes the meat according to the purpose of cooking. The shoulder part is divided into meat and fat tenderloin. The vertebral and lumbar sections are distributed in the same way, and the side is divided into ribs and meat.

In the CIS, pork carcasses are divided according to the Moscow scheme. Artiodactyls are cut into 8 cuts, which have the following names:

head;
cutlet part - tenderloin from the back;
scapular part;
sternum;
legs from the first joint to the second;
hooves;
back ham;
cervical part.

Meat grade

In many countries, parts of a pork carcass are valued differently. However, the first grade always includes a layer of meat along the pig's spine. The muscle tissue from this place is soft and tender, since the artiodactyl does not use these muscles when walking. Additionally, prime cuts of pork include the neck. Unlike other farm animals, pigs hardly move their heads.

There is a general classification of meat grades that is used in the culinary industry:

The first grade usually includes the shoulder girdle of the artiodactyl, loin, sternum, lumbar region and ham.
The second grade includes the head, forearm and shanks.

Cutting pork carcass cuts and their use

Boning and cutting a pork carcass into cuts also includes cutting the parts themselves. The following are the names of the parts of a farm pig carcass:

ham;
scapulocervical girdle;
knuckle;
dorso-lumbar cut;
abdomen;
loin;
sacrum;
head.

Ham

A ham is a cut from the thighs of an artiodactyl. Traditionally, ham is sold by the cut. With this cutting, you can cut off the maximum amount of meat from the bone. A whole ham can often have ragged edges, which reduces its value.

Meat cut from the thigh of an animal is used in the preparation of many meat dishes. The upper part of the ham contains a large percentage of muscle mass, so dishes such as:

shashlik;
schnitzel;
boiled pork.

The lower part of the ham usually contains less meat, so jellied meat is most often prepared from it.

Scapular-cervical girdle

The shoulder cut and neck of the pig are called the shoulder and neck. Cut this cut into three pieces:

shoulder blade without bone.
shoulder blade on bone.
neck

The boneless spatula is used for baking and frying. Goulash, frankfurters and sausage are also prepared using this meat.

The boneless shoulder part of pork is a drier, tougher meat, so in the culinary industry this part is marinated before cooking. The cut is also suitable for frying and smoking.

The neck is considered tender meat, since the animal uses little of this muscle mass during life. It is used to prepare shish kebab, escalope and chops.

Cutting pork carcass for shish kebab!!!

Live healthy! What parts of pork can you eat? (06/08/2016)

Cutting a pig into 9 classic pieces

Knuckle

The knuckle is the part of the pork that is located on the first joint of the front leg. The same cut of the hind limb is called shank. The knuckle is considered second-class meat because the muscle tissue on the legs is dense. Most often, jellied meat is prepared from this cut. Due to its high muscle density, the knuckle is well suited as a base for meatloaf.

In some countries, this cut is smoked, after which the meat is cut off in a thin layer from the bone.

Spinolumbar cut

This part of the pork carcass is also called carbonate. The back lumbar cut is considered first-class meat in all schemes, due to its high taste. In the Moscow scheme, this part is called cutlet. The quality of the loin cut depends on how much concentrate the animal consumed.

The cut along the spine is the most expensive part of the carcass. It is used to prepare the following dishes:

escalope;
chops;
steaks.

After heat treatment, meat from the lumbar region is baked or smoked. Sausages and sausages are also prepared from this cut.

Abdominal

This cut includes the following parts of the artiodactyl body:

sternum.
underscores.
abdominal part.

The sternum is the thick edge of the abdominal part in the lumbar region. This meat contains a high percentage of fat, so it is better suited for baking and smoking.

The thin edge of the peritoneum is called the flank. This part is closer to the ham and is suitable for making rolls.

Lard with meat streaks is called undercut. Such a sebaceous layer is valued much more than a pure product. Podcherevok is suitable for baking and smoking.

Korean

There are 2 types of this part of the carcass:

loin on the bone;
boneless loin.

The meat on the bone is cut from the back along with the base of the ribs. This muscle mass has good taste, so the loin is often used for baking and served on the bone. Clean ribs are suitable for jellied meats and broths.

A boneless loin is a clean piece of meat that is cut from the lumbar girdle of an artiodactyl. A similar part is used for steaks.

Sacrum

This cut is located at the end of the animal's dorsal girdle. The sacrum has the smallest percentage of body fat. The lean part of the meat is primarily suitable for boiling or barbecuing. Since the muscle mass from the sacrum is lean, it can be consumed by people with diseases of the pancreas and liver.

Pig head

This cut has low taste, however, due to its low cost, many chefs prefer to use this part for preparing various dishes. Most often, the head is used for jellied meat and broth. Pig tongue is used to make aspic.

Animal brain, when properly prepared, is considered a delicacy. The cheeks of the artiodactyl have a good layer of fat and are suitable for baking. In Asian countries, pork ears are fried after being marinated in mustard.

Conclusion

There are several schemes with which you can butcher a pig. The cost of cuts depends on the quality of the cut and deboning.

Pig meat is classified by grade, depending on its taste. The cutting scheme for the artiodactyl is selected depending on what breed is being raised on the farm and in what area the final product will be used.

In this article we will tell you how to cut up a pig after slaughter, what tools to use and how to separate body parts. It may seem that this is not important, however, if you improperly separate the pig carcass, you risk spoiling the quality and presentation of the product. There are different cutting schemes. They are used depending on what the meat is intended for: for sale, for home use, baking in the oven, cooking steaks or sausages.

Workplace and tools

It is most convenient to butcher a pig where it was slaughtered. If it was hanging on hooks during slaughter, leave it. This way you can keep the carcass suspended.

If the individual's weight allows, use a table. The surface for cutting a pig carcass should be made of wood or concrete, but not metal.

Make sure the place is clean. Unsanitary conditions will reduce the quality of meat. This is especially important if you intend to cut up the carcass and sell it on the market.

Use the sharpest tools. For this purpose you will need knives, a special cutting dagger and a bone saw.

Each knife for cutting a pig should have a blade no shorter than 15 cm, 2 cm wide. You will also need hot water to rinse your hands and tools. There is no need to wash the carcass itself and the meat before or during cutting, otherwise it will begin to deteriorate.

The carcass must be bled. Only then can the process begin. The pig butchering scheme is selected depending on the purpose of the meat.

In Russian or German: what are the schemes?

You can cut a pig in different ways. There are four main schemes:

Russian;
American;
German;
English

The German one is often used, since in this case the carcass is divided into the maximum number of parts. First, a piglet or pig is chopped into half carcasses and quarters, then each of them is cut into 8 pieces. Separate the back, then the front ham, the loin, the brisket, the front side of the spinal muscles, the legs, the belly meat, and the head.

According to the English scheme, pig carcasses are divided into only 4 parts: back, middle, front and head. It is suitable if the meat has a commercial purpose rather than a culinary one.

The Russian scheme involves cutting pig carcasses into 8 large pieces. This is the head with the neck, shoulder blades, the area between the shoulder blades and neck, breast, ham, middle and lower areas of the legs.

The American scheme is simplified. The carcass is cut into 6 pieces. The back and loin area go together. This will be pork tenderloin. The neck and head and legs are also not divided. Each leg is cut off with a ham. The belly and brisket are also taken together, cutting off the right and left sides. Only the pork shoulder is cut out separately.

The original Hungarian method saves time, for which the animal is not even skinned. First, the head of pig carcasses is cut off, the hind legs, including the thigh, are separated, then the front legs. And finally, remove the skin and meat from the neck, chest, and upper back.

They usually operate starting with an incision in the back. The skin is removed, the meat is separated, and only then the pig carcass is cut up and gutted. This method allows you to do all the work in 10 minutes.

Where to start cutting, entrails and lard

Now about how to properly cut the main carcass. Before gutting, you need to cut off a part of the carcass called the abdominal apron. This is the name given to the muscles and fat on the belly of pigs. You need to cut so as not to touch the insides, otherwise you can spoil the meat. Especially a boar.

After this, the organs are removed. First the lungs, stomach, heart and liver, then the bladder. Lastly, we reach the renal part. Almost all internals are suitable for use.

When cutting dairy animals, the body is not divided into parts, only gutted, since the whole pig is cooked.

Cutting the half carcass includes separating the fat. Each half is divided into three large pieces, which are then also cut. The hind leg, shank (part of the hind leg without the hoof), front leg, and neck are separated. The shoulder and pork knuckle (middle part of the front leg) are separated. Separately cut out the brisket and loin (part of the pork from the loin).

Any resulting parts of the pork carcass can then be divided into pieces.

Varieties and main parts of meat

The following division of pork into varieties is accepted. The first includes: ham, shoulder, loin, brisket, loin. For the second - a shank, cheeks with neck cuts, a shank. Pig is also cut into these parts for retail trade. The price depends on the variety.

Often people, for example, hearing the name “rump”, do not understand what we are talking about, where this organ is located, and in general, what part of the pig is it - the back or the front. Therefore, we will tell you what the main parts of the carcass and meat are called.

Pork rump is the area of the lower back where the sacrum is located. Above comes carbonate (carbonate is incorrect) and pork tenderloin. These are the most valuable parts of a pig's body.

Carbonade is the meat that is located on both sides of the spine on the back. The part of this meat that goes to the ribs is the loin.

The pig's sketch in the diagram is at the bottom, this is the abdominal zone. The brisket sits higher and is especially prized when sold boneless. The shoulder blade is the upper part of the front leg, with or without bone.

Division into parts and culinary use

Let's take a closer look at how to cut a pig carcass and how to use it, because for each part of pork there are corresponding rules.

The cutting of a pork carcass for retail sale is done anatomically to distribute the meat according to quality and purpose.

The half carcass is divided into cuts: cervical-scapular, dorso-lumbar, rib, chest, shoulder, plus the hip part. The varietal cut also includes subscapular ribs, shanks, flank (groin area), tenderloin, and intermammal area. Each cut part has its own name and is divided into smaller ones.

Neck cuts include the boneless section of the neck and cheek meat. It can be stewed or grilled. Stewed or fried, it is very tender and soft.

The concept of pork loin has several meanings. Now let’s figure out what part of the pig this is. As a rule, this is meat from the back, from which you can prepare the perfect schnitzel, escalope, or kebab. But if someone calls the front part of a pork breast that way, it wouldn't be a mistake.

Pork loin is divided into bone-in loin, cutlet part and cutlet part.

Other parts and their value

The lumbar zone of the carcass is pork tenderloin and thick sirloin.

The ham can be on the bone or without it. This also includes the upper zone of the fillet. This meat part is cooked whole and is also used for cutlets and broths. It also makes ideal oven-baked pork - pork meat baked in the oven.

Brisket is also available on the bone (ribs) and without it. This also includes the flank (also called the belly) - the area located on the stomach. Brisket is often baked and used to make entrecote (richer than beef). This meat is also suitable for broths and roasts.

The most tender meat is pork tenderloin, suitable for goulash, kebabs, soups and many other dishes. The knuckle and shank are not as valuable. The meat is tough, but it has its uses. As a rule, it is cooked at home. Sometimes they roll it into a roll and then get a product for frying and stewing.

Handling and use of piglets

Suckling pig meat is considered a delicacy. It has a delicate taste and low fat content.

Small piglets, weighing less than 6 kg, are baked whole in the oven, without even removing the head. They are first tarred and gutted. The pig's entrails are removed through a large longitudinal incision. It is done along the entire length of the carcass. The abdomen and sternum of the animal are cut.

A medium-sized pig can be divided into half carcasses and cooked even at home, spreading them out on a large baking sheet. When cutting in this case, the head is also left behind.

With large piglets that weigh 7 kg or more, you will have to tinker. Half carcasses of such animals need to be cut into two parts. There will be 4 pieces in total. They are cut crosswise in the middle. The hind leg goes into one half, the shoulder with the front leg goes into the other.

This meat is best baked in the oven or grilled.

What else you need to know about cutting and storage

When preparing to cut a pig, remember that cutting a pig follows the same principle. It doesn’t matter whether you are slaughtering boars or sows and what their weight is. The only thing is that knur meat smells bad; its use is possible, but unpleasant. There will be no hunters to buy it either. No matter what measures you take to eliminate the stench, an uncastrated boar without preparation for slaughter will smell.

Otherwise, everything is the same for pigs: division into parts, their names, approximate amount of meat, although they look different. The final yield - how much product you get from a pig - is influenced not only by the weight of the carcass, but also by the accuracy when cutting.

Dressed carcasses are stored chilled or frozen. If you are going to sell pork cuts quickly, you need to keep them out of the freezer for no more than two days. Lard is stored separately.

Thus, although cutting a pig has a lot of nuances, it is quite within the capabilities of almost everyone who has chosen pig farming as their business.

If you found answers to your questions in our article, be sure to write about it in the comments.

Don't forget to like.

Pig parts in meat production

No matter what breed a pig is, each has a similar anatomy. There are several parts of the pork body that are used in the production of semi-finished products and whole pieces of meat for sale:

Heads with cranial and facial parts.
Cervical region (directly the area of the pig’s neck and the jugular space).
Sections of the body starting in the dorsal region and ending in the tail area. Examples of such areas of the carcass are the loin, udder, and others.
Areas of the limbs - front, rear, almost identical to human ones (shoulder area, elbow part, knee, etc.).

Zoologists identify the following patterns:

Natural breeds, as a rule, have a rough constitution.
Beef breeds have tender meat.
Dense dry rocks produce little fat, while greasy rocks are most often of the loose type.

Features of cutting a pig

The quality of meat products is determined by whether all the necessary conditions for keeping a pig are met. Before killing and butchering the body, the pigs are transferred to a stockyard, where they rest for several days (minimum two days). The condition of the pigs is monitored by veterinarians.

For the above operations, flow-mechanized equipment is used. Production lines belong to the following groups:

Processing of scalded carcasses.
Processing of carcasses subject to skinning.
Universal production equipment that is used for all types of livestock and breeds of pigs.

Stunning before slaughter

Immediately before the animal is slaughtered and the body is divided into separate pieces, the pig is kept in water at a comfortable temperature of 20 to 25 degrees to wash off dirt. Next, use one of the stunning tools. This is necessary so that in the future the animal does not move and does not feel pain.

Electric shock is used to stun. This is also done mechanically or using special industrial chemicals.

When a pig does not die from a blow to the heart, it is placed on its side, tied up, and its throat is cut.

After stunning, a bleeding process is required. About 3.5% of the carcass is blood yield. It flows out through the main arteries and is a valuable by-product, later used to make pork puddings, sausages, etc.

An animal that has been killed by a blow to the heart is suspended by its legs and bled to death in this position. The process of blood flowing out occurs at a faster rate, but the pork product is of lower quality, since an impressive amount of fluid accumulates in the chest. Despite the possibility of eliminating it, blood clots remain inside the carcass.

In the case where the blood is not intended to be used for food purposes, it simply goes into the ground.

To obtain products that meet standard values, the entrails must be removed within 30 minutes after bleeding the body. First, the esophagus is removed, then the bladder is carefully removed so that decay products do not get into the meat. After this procedure, the carcass should not be washed with water. It is only permissible to wipe it with dry and clean material. The maximum amount of blood is observed when opening the carotid artery and jugular vein.

If these actions are delayed, the meat may lose quality. Along with large producers, private farmers must monitor the deadlines for carcass cutting.

At the next stage, the animal is cut into pieces.

Cutting meat: diagrams

In order for pork to meet sales requirements, technology must be strictly followed. In addition to meat, the production produces skin, which should not have any defects.

After slaughter, the upper skin layer is supplied for further processing and secondary production purposes.

Features of hide processing are directly related to the form of use of the product:

If it is planned to transfer the meat to a sausage shop or direct sale without processing (directly in the form of carcass parts), the animals are completely stripped of their skins.
Partial work with skins occurs if the meat output consists of items such as ham, brisket or loin. After this, the carcass is processed with a special scraping machine to remove the bristles.

In general, complete skinning of animals in the meat industry is rare. This is due to the fact that the fat layer of the pig adheres tightly to the skin. In addition, lard is a source of valuable nutrients. It is not only used for food purposes, but also used in production. To carefully process the top layer, it can be singed. Next, the bristles are removed from the skin.

Schemes for carcass parsing depend on the end use of meat products:

Cutting for home use.
The carcass is transferred for sale.
Obtaining bacon and lard. These types of meat can be distinguished by the following characteristics: the greasy part is located at the junction of the skin and soft subcutaneous layer with a thickness of up to 1.5 cm, and lard-type products are skin with a denser subcutaneous layer measuring 1.5 cm or more.
The carcass is cut to extract the meat and salt it, making smoked meats.

Four options for obtaining pork parts include:

German.
English.
American.
Moscow or Russian.

It is difficult to say unambiguously which of them is the most common in production and in private households. The most consumed and popular varieties of pork meat are those located in the spine area. This is determined by the physiology of movement, in which the animal inactively uses these areas of the body. The pig's neck is also inactive. It is intended for making kebabs and roasts. Less valuable (due to the greater mobility of the body) are the rear pieces.

The German version of cutting a meat carcass involves obtaining eight main pieces. They are divided into varieties.

Table 1. Classes of pork meat parts according to the German scheme

In the English method, the animal carcass is divided into four parts, which are large pieces of the head, front, central and rear parts.

In this case, the carcass is cut in two in accordance with the length of the body. Next, each half is divided into six parts and correlated with individual types of meat.

Table 2. Classes and names in the English cutting technique

In Russia, it is customary to divide the pig meat carcass into 8 parts:

Debarking.
Dorsal - it is used for cutlets.
Cervical piece of meat.
Head, cheeks and neck.
Scapular.
The parts of the body called the brisket.
Middle sections of the legs.
Hooves.

Pork producers in the United States cut the carcass into two parts, each of which is divided into several sections:

Scapular.
Sirloin spin.
Rear-anterior debarking.
Sidewalls of the carcass.
Head.

Butchers in the USA divide the shoulder into the greasy area and the so-called “Boston” area. In addition, for industrial purposes, the back of the head can be prepared separately.

At the final stage of cutting the body, veterinary and sanitary control of product quality is carried out. The carcass loses weight when blood comes out, internal organs, skin, leg and head parts are removed. After cutting, the carcass must be deboned. The butcher removes cartilage and tendon areas, as well as films. As a result, the carcass acquires its final weight, which is indicated on the industrial packaging.

For those who want to save time, there is a Hungarian method of cutting an animal. In this case, the skin is not even removed. Instead, the carcass is left without the head, hind legs and front legs, including the thigh. At the final stage, the cervical spine is processed. In addition, meat and skin are removed from the chest and upper back. This method takes about ten minutes.

Cutting pork at home

Having domestic pigs is an excellent source of quality carcasses and parts. It is much more convenient to disassemble it manually than in an industrial environment. In this case, the person who carries out the slaughter must be experienced.

For subsequent consumption of meat, you will need a certificate stating that the animal is completely healthy. The document may also be useful for retail sales, if one is planned.

To cut a pig into pieces at home, it is not fed one day before slaughter. Only liquid (plain water) is left in the area - this ensures the cleanliness of the stomach necessary to release a product suitable for consumption. Before slaughter, it must be washed using any available method.

Like professional butchers, private owners also have the right to choose a slaughter scheme:

Cervical.
Cordial.
With the help of current.
With the help of weapons.

Due to the limited population, a private farmer can choose his own approach to each individual.

An injection into the cervical region is considered painless. Before this option is implemented, the animal is left motionless. The butcher will need strong ropes to connect the legs at the hoof area. It is advisable to do this together: one holds the torso without moving, the second cuts the carotid artery, which is located in the neck at a distance of about 3 cm from the auricle.

With this slaughter scheme, the heart continues to beat, and the animal quickly goes to sleep, losing blood. The quality of the meat product is maintained at the highest level, since the circulatory system is actively functioning, pumping fluid through the veins and arteries.

The second method of killing is to pierce the pig's heart. The disadvantage of this method is the possible damage to the meat carcass due to damage to the sternum. If such a nuisance occurs, the animal’s belly is subsequently ripped open and fluid is collected from the chest using a mug.

Before the pig dies, it is thrown to the ground. The knife strikes the space between the 3rd and 4th ribs on the left side of the armpit. It is applied sharply, after which the knife remains inside for some time. The advantage of this method is the speed and small efforts that have to be made to kill the pig.

Processing of piglet carcasses

Small animals whose weight does not exceed 6 kilograms are gutted according to a simplified procedure. The entrails are removed through a large longitudinal incision, which is made along the entire length of the carcass, including the abdomen and sternum.

If the butcher is dealing with a medium-sized pig, it can be divided in half and not touch the head, as in the first option.

Large animals over 7 kilograms will require more time to butcher. The half carcasses of such piglets are divided into 2 parts, resulting in 4 pieces. Their cut is made in the middle in the transverse direction. One half contains the back of the ham, the other half contains the shoulder, with the front leg.

Other processing nuances

Before cutting a pig, you need to remember that cutting is carried out according to the same principle. It doesn’t matter what weight or gender the animal is, there are general conditions that must be met when slaughtering.

In general, regardless of breed, pigs are divided into equal parts, with approximately the same meat yield. Only external characteristics may differ.

Also, the final weight of the pieces of meat depends on whether the requirements for cutting the carcass are met.

Prepared carcasses should be stored chilled or frozen. For quick sale, you need to keep the meat in the freezer for no more than 2 days. The greasy part is stored separately.

Live weight differs from weight after slaughter, cutting and processing.

Speaking about the final weight of raw meat, it should be noted that pork from fattened animals at a young age produces more fat than when it is an adult.

The head of a pig with a total body weight of 120 kg. is approximately 10 kg. In this case, the hind leg weighs from 8 to 9 kg. The average weight of a piglet at one month of age is in the range of 7-9 kg. Upon reaching 5 months, he will weigh about 85-90 kg. The output from this individual after cutting will be up to 40 kg. pure meat without bones and offal.

Conclusion

Cutting pork carcasses is a responsible and complex undertaking when it comes to obtaining a quality product. There are many approaches and practices to portioning a carcass. Regardless of which one is chosen, the tool and work area should be properly prepared.

Video - Pig slaughter

Video - Pork cut

Even if you don't intend to become a butcher and slaughter pigs, you will still need to know the parts of the poor animal's body that are sold in butcher shops. Confident behavior and knowledge of the names of the parts of a pork carcass will provide you with an invaluable service: you can bargain well at the market, help a grandmother in the village slaughter a wild boar, and simply show off your knowledge of the issue in a friendly company.

If you are a vegetarian, stop reading this article immediately. The information presented below does not fit into your worldview and poses a danger to you.

The beginning is to bleed the carcass

Let's assume that you still come to the village to visit your relatives. Let's assume that you managed to kill the pig. Although this task requires considerable skill and strength. This is not industrial slaughter, where processes are automated as much as possible.

The cutting of a pork carcass cannot be carried out until almost all the blood has flowed out of the pig. This is the most important condition on the way to obtaining juicy and fresh pork meat. Blood can be used to make a wonderful product - blood sausage.

The ideal bleeding will be if the carcass is hung vertically and the carotid artery and jugular vein are cut. The blood will not remain in the body. The lard will be snow-white, and the meat will be tender.

Let's kill the pig

It is not customary to skin a pig at home. Take a regular burner and carefully burnish the wild boar carcass, scraping off the burnt part with a knife. The hardness of the skin on a piece of lard after cutting will depend on the quality of this procedure. The softer it is, the better. After this, the carcass must be cleaned with damp towels. After cutting the pork carcass, washing it is strictly prohibited. This will lead to rapid spoilage of all meat.

Pork carcass cutting

No matter how much you read articles on this topic or watch videos, you won’t succeed on your own the first time. Or the result will not be exactly what you wanted to achieve. It is better to take a course in the intricacies of craftsmanship as an assistant to an expert in his field.

But this is not always possible. Therefore, as they say, if the eyes are afraid, the hands do. Here the pork carcass cutting diagram will help you out. Not the scheme itself, but its knowledge.

This procedure is unbearable for nervous people, so if the sight of blood scares you, it’s better to go to the kitchen to fry blood sausage. Those who are strong in spirit should check the availability of tools - a sharp knife and an ax.

A hacksaw for metal wouldn't hurt either. Your further actions will look like this:

cutting up a pork carcass begins with cutting off the pig's head. This can be done using a hacksaw. After this procedure, you can wait a little, allowing the remaining pig blood to drain;
an apron-shaped cut of fat and abdominal muscles is made in the abdominal area;
then we continue the incision through the center of the sternum, where the ribs meet;
Let's gut the pig. Through the open sternum we remove the stomach, intestines, liver and gall bladder. You need to be as careful as possible with the latter - if it ruptures and the internal liquid gets on the meat or lard, they will be spoiled, because by the time you remove the bile from the meat, it will already be able to absorb the bitterness;
cut off the internal fat in the abdominal cavity and remove the kidneys;
we cut out the diaphragm and take out the lungs and heart along with it;
the heart must be cut in half lengthwise and blood clots removed;
release the contents of the intestines and wash the intestines;
We divide the carcass in half using an ax along the spine;
we spend some time drinking tea or smoking a couple of cigarettes, allowing the carcass meat to cool;
after the boar has cooled a little, we separate the front and hind limbs, making a cut along the joints;
we cut off the fat along with the skin from the sides of the half carcasses, cut the resulting material into even pieces, which will later be melted into lard, salted, boiled or soaked in brine - as you like.

Loin, brisket and others

Next, we cut the half carcass into two parts. We make an incision between the lumbar and sacral vertebrae along the line of the protrusion of the pelvic bone. At the front part we cut off the blade part. If the pig was well fatty, cut off the back fat in a single layer. The layer of fat remaining on the meat after cutting should not exceed one centimeter. But it is better to cut it so that a minimum amount remains.

The rest is divided in half from the spine to the bone. We cut out the spine and separate the brisket. After this, we separate the neck part from the loin.

Cut off the upper part of the hind leg. This is a ham. We debone the remaining part - we separate the meat from the bone. The removed pulp can be easily divided into four parts along the films that envelop different parts of the muscles.

The diagram for cutting a pork carcass is shown in the picture below.

The fat is cut off from the ham and loin in large layers. Fat from other parts of the pork body is cut into small pieces.

Pork cutting for retail trade

In order to confidently navigate the butcher shop, you need to know how a pork carcass is chopped, according to retail standards. This scheme is slightly different from the one discussed above. The thing is that for trade there is a division of meat by grade. Thus, shank and forearm belong to the 2nd grade of meat. Accordingly, the price for these parts of the carcass should be lower than for first-class pork. And it includes:

Ham.
Blade part.
Brisket.
Lumbar part with flank.
Dorsal part (loin).

All parts of the pork carcass are prepared for sale and have different prices, depending on the qualities of each specific piece.

There was only one pig, but different meats

Each type of meat has its own special qualities. The price of a particular piece depends on them. The shoulder blade is considered the least fatty. The loin is considered the best meat in the whole carcass. The lumbar part also contains the most tender meat. The inner and outer parts of the ham are considered premium meat. The brisket is divided into meat on the bones and just pulp. This is also very tender and juicy meat. The fattest pieces are the side part of the ham, or boiled pork, the upper part (loin) or the back. It's the best thing about ham. Neck (neck) is the most juicy and fatty meat.

We hope that after reading the article you will be able to cut a pork carcass. If not, but you have become a little more knowledgeable about meat, that’s also good.