Pork For a Year

It was a public holiday here on Monday so, after the morning farm work was finished we got stuck into the big job of cutting up and processing the two huge pigs that hung in our cold room for a week.
As luck happened we had fleeting visitor who snapped a few photos for us.

The meat saw is a dangerous piece of equipment so full concentration is needed and strict safety rules apply.

We work as a team. Each has their position and knows what to do. We use a few basic cuts to quarter the carcass and then decide which cuts we will make (chops, ribs, roasts)  as we go along.
I load the meat into crates and boxes, and place them back into the refrigerated cold room until we have finished cutting up all of the meat.

I don't know how we used to manage before we built this cold room. It makes life much easier now that we can keep it cold for as long as it takes to carry a box at a time into the kitchen to pack the meat in meal size portions.

For two days I meticulously packed and vacuum sealed the portions of meat.  I don't find it a difficult or unpleasant job. Time consuming, but certainly not a chore. I think about all of the meals we will enjoy together, and with family and friends over the next year.
 Last week I wrote here that I was doubtful all of this meat would fit into the available spaces in our three freezers.
This morning I finished packing and freezing and gave a huge sigh of relief  as I closed the lids on all three freezers packed full to the brim.
The pork belly pieces are in their buckets of brining solution for nitrate fee bacon.
Next weekend Brian will fire up the old wood smoker where the pieces will be slow smoked for 24hrs.

Guess what we ate for our evening meal last night?  Pork loin chops on the barbeque.
Mmm mmm so good!

And what a stroke of luck. The temperature will be cool enough to light the wood stove tomorrow so there will be roast pork with the family tomorrow night.

Does life get any better?