Pork Belly

Okay, I am posting about a roast pork belly I made for a picnic up at our cider barn on Sunday.  I have to admit I am torn about posting these shots because they are diametrically opposed to what I just posted over on Improv Diary.  Head over after this and you'll see what I mean.  I am not heartless, just for the record. I feel good about raising pigs to feed my family and friends for many many reasons, but it isn't without its complications.

I have never made a pork belly before so I read a lot before doing it and followed the directions I found here.  I did the slow first, hot second version and it was AMAZING!.  You may have heard this cut called Pork Layer Cake before, and here is the reason:

The lean meat is at the bottom, then comes a thick layer of fat, then atop the whole thing is the skin all crispy and crunchy.  The fat might seem like a bit much, looking at it running off the table (the dog was underneath being bathed in and licking up the treasure) but even I ate it and that sort of thing usually revolts me. This was so NOT revolting.  It was sooooo good.

I cut it up into squares and folks stuffed it into a baguette with a sweet vinegar slaw, mayo, hot sauce, and pickled beans and radish.  It was insane.  I don't have a picture of a fixed sandwich - sorry.  I don't know why I didn't think to snap one. Duh.

 We also had our first press day of the season with our whole new cider press set up.  New and improved. It went off without a hitch and our relief and joy was great.  Everyone went home with some fresh cider and much too full bellies.

This is me pulling the lever that operates the apple elevator.  They fall into the grinder above the press and then fall in a heap at the bootom of that plastic tube.

Here is the ground apples on top of the press cloth.

We wrap the press cloth around the ground apples like an envelope.

 We do it 6-7 times on press racks all in a stack like this.  Then it gets pushed into the press and smooshed.

 The juice runs through a tube into a container outside the barn. We were doing a small run, so it was into a 50 gallon drum with a liner.

Last year fermented cider under snow.

 A very cute boy eating a pork belly sandwich.  

Lard

From fairy ornaments to lard...what? I don't think I have ever mentioned the pigs we raised this year in the front field, this being a crafty sort of forum, but all five left for the slaughterhouse and came back as pork this week and they deserve the stage. Now, if you are a vegetarian who is squeamish or sad when it comes to this sort of thing, you should probably head off, but if pork belly and lard pique your interest, then get a load of this:

We rendered about 9 gallons of lard! Well, I took the pictures, being in a particularly sensitive state currently, but my man and dear friends were slick with it.


What will we do with all this lard, you ask? Fry eggs, make pastry, confit something or other, grease machinery, sweat down vegetables for soup in it, and make toffee, apparently. Jonny made this before he left this morning as a gift for his boss. And, yes, it was really good.

One pig came back unbutchered and we got a half and our friend got the other so the two fellows could have the butchering experience. We have a butcher block thanks to our friend Timothy and the weather has been good and cold, so the cider barn was the venue.


Cute butcher!



Ham, weighing in around 25 pounds!



Pork belly being cured. Hello bacon!



We've been eating our share of pork this week, and though I remember our piggies quite fondly (they are wonderful animals, really)I must say, this is the best pork I have ever eaten and I feel incredibly fortunate to know exactly where it came from.

And if you live nearby, we have some for sale still.

The end of school

Today is the first day of summer vacation for my kids! Not only does it seem super early, but it also feels like spring. I say that without an iota of complaining. It's lovely! This year for teacher gifts I had the kids make silk screens again and we printed on cloth produce bags. They turned out so nice and the kids and teachers seemed pleased. I have some extra for us and I will be trying out fabric produce bags for the very first time. Seems like a good idea.

Harry's: the ubiquitous rocket ship with the unusual addition of a flower floating next to it. Ava's: 3 little pigs repeated, about to eat a flower.

Have I mentioned that we have 5 little pigs living in our front field right now? Ava swore she wouldn't even look at them for the first 2 hours we owned them, fearing the love she would feel in her tender heart. Then 2 hours was up and off she went into the pen, asking if I thought it a bad idea for her to name them. She answered her own question and does love them and is coming around to the fate of these lovely creatures- at least she doesn't show how completely pissed she is that we would even consider eating them. Her former nursery teacher and friend of mine compares her to Fern. True. Harry, on the other hand, informs any guest that the pigs will be killed, and in no uncertain terms.

Happy summer!