By Dave Seel, Long Island Food Correspondent.
Recently, I had the opportunity to get a pig-butchering lesson at Benner's Farm in Setauket, NY, an educational farm for kids and adults. Benner's Farm is a working farm and the slaughtering of a pig around November is an annual occurence. They don't sell meat to the public, so it is solely used by the family.
Because I'm is a self-proclaimed food dork and was intrigued with the whole process, I was lucky enough to come home with the pig's head and two pork chops after my lesson was complete. From there, I undertook a 9 and a half-hour cooking marathon to make what is commonly called head cheese, or (and it sounds better in French) Le Fromage de Tete. The following photo essay documents my up-close-and-personal farm-to-table experience.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS, VEGETARIANS, OR THOSE WHO WOULD RATHER NOT THINK ABOUT WHERE THEIR MEAT COMES FROM.
Benner's Farm
Jean Benner & Her Rifle
The Pig
A Man & His Pig
Bob's Cornell Extension Butchering Information Bulletin
Half of a Pig's Belly & A Saws-All
Half of A Pig
Bob splitting the ribs from the pork chops
Ribs & bacon on the left. Pork Chops & Bacon on the right.
Splitting the ribs from the bacon
Ribs & Bacon
Cutting the pork chops
Pork Chops
Slicing the pork chops
A Beautiful Pork Chop
A whole lot of pork
BACON!
Prepping The Cure … Kosher Salt & Suger
Salt then Sugar
Bacon, ready to be cured
A Man & His Bacon
Half a pig broken down
Next…OFF WITH ITS HEAD!
Offal
Front Ham Hock & Head
Trotters
Every Animal Has A Purpose
This is gonna take some work…
2 hours later…the pig's head is ready to be made into head cheese
Bay leaves, Thyme, Majoram, Pepper, and Cloves
Into the pot it goes…this is the biggest pot I have ever used in my life…
…After 2 hours of simmering
….3.5 Hours
…After 5 Hours
…Another 2.5 Hours for the stock to reduce for gelatin
Meanwhile…I pick a part the head for meat…
Pour reduced broth over meat…put into fridge to chill and set…
And voila…Le Fromage de Tete
For a written essay on his experience, you can visit my blog,