Serious question, how long should a full hog breakdown take?

I thought I could get through a 300 pound Berkshire in under an hour, but the shoulder seam gave me so much trouble it took almost three. What's your go-to method for getting that joint apart cleanly?

3 comments

3 Comments

clairew6429d ago

Try popping the shoulder ball joint with a sturdy boning knife. I wedge the tip right into that seam and give it a sharp twist to separate the cartilage. That stubborn joint always takes me the longest too.

wren_walker6229d ago

Have you ever tried just using your hands? @clairew64 I find a boning knife can tear up the meat around that joint. I pop the front leg forward to stretch it out, then press down hard on the shoulder blade with my palm until it pops free. It's faster for me and keeps the cut cleaner.

davis.diana15d ago

Remember my friend Carl who runs the food truck? He had the same fight with a shoulder last fall. He got so mad he put down his knife, grabbed a short piece of rebar from his garage, and just tapped it into the seam with a rubber mallet. The joint popped right open without messing up the meat at all. He said it was the cleanest break he'd ever gotten, and now he keeps that cleaned-up rebar piece in his kit just for hogs. Sometimes the right tool isn't a knife at all.