Remove the hind foot by sawing through the hock joint at the right
angle to the length of the foot (fig. 60).
[Illustration: Man sawing off lower hind leg]
Figure 60.—Removing hind foot.
The ham may be removed two ways. The long-cut ham is cut off at the
pelvic arch (bend in the backbone) perpendicular to the length of
the side (fig. 61). This style ham lends itself to dry salt curing and
aging. The popular short-cut ham is separated from the side by a cut
approximately halfway between the pelvic arch and the end of the
pelvic bone at a right angle to the shank (fig. 62).
[Illustration: Man sawing off ham]
Figure 61.—Removing long ham.
[Illustration: Man slicing off ham]
Figure 62.—Removing short ham.
The front foot is removed by sawing through the hock (knee) joint at a
right angle to the length of the foot (fig. 63). A shoulder hock may
be cut off about halfway up the leg (fig. 64). To separate the
shoulder from the loin and belly, locate the second rib from the front
and saw through the center of this rib (fig. 65).
[Illustration: Man sawing off lower front leg]
Figure 63.—Removing front foot.
[Illustration: Man sawing off section of upper front leg]
Figure 64.—Shoulder hock.
[Illustration: Man sawing through upper chest]
Figure 65.—Shoulder removal.
The remaining part (middle) is divided into the loin and the belly by
a straight cut from the edge of the tenderloin muscle on the ham end
through a point on the first rib about 2 inches from the protruding
edge of the split backbone (figs. 66 and 67).
[Illustration: Man cutting with knife along chest]
Figure 66.—Separating middle from loin.
[Illustration: Man sawing along chest]
Figure 67.—Separating middle from loin.
The tail, backbone, and flank are removed from the ham; and the fat
over the inside (top), in the pelvic area, and along each side is
trimmed close to the lean (fig. 68). Most of the skin and fat are left
on the long-cut ham with only a short bevel at the butt (loin) end.
Five or six inches of skin may be removed from the short-cut ham by
cutting under the skin approximately half the distance between the
butt edge and the hock (fig. 69). The exposed fat is then smoothly
tapered to a thickness of about one-half inch at the butt end (fig. 70).
[Illustration: Picture of trimmed ham]
Figure 68.—Trimming short ham.
[Illustration: Man slicing off skin and fat from ham]
Figure 69.—Trimming short ham.
[Illustration: Picture of trimmed ham]
Figure 70.—Trimmed short ham.
The fat back is removed from the loin. Starting along the backbone
side at the shoulder end, cut and lift the fat over the curve of the
loin muscles, being careful not to cut into the lean (fig. 71).
Surface fat on the loin can then be trimmed to approximately
one-fourth inch in thickness (fig. 72). The loin can be roasted whole,
cut into smaller roasts, or sliced into chops (fig. 73). Shoulder,
rib, loin, and sirloin chops are made from the loin. However, the most
popular chops are from the shoulder end and the center (loin) portion.
The ham end is more often roasted. Cut chops one-half to three-fourths
of an inch thick for broiling or frying. Chops for stuffing are easily
made by cutting them two ribs thick and making a pocket between the
ribs. Be careful not to cut through the outer fat surface (fig. 74)
when making chops for stuffing.
[Illustration: Man slicing fat off loin]
Figure 71.—Trimming loin.
[Illustration: Picture of trimmed loin]
Figure 72.—Trimmed loin.
[Illustration: Picture of loin roasts and chops]
Figure 73.—Loin roasts and chops.
[Illustration: Picture of loin chops]
Figure 74.—Loin chops.
Remove the neck bones from the shoulder by cutting beneath the ribs to
the backbone and along each side of the vertebrae, then lift and cut
closely around the vertebrae to complete their removal (fig. 75). Cut
off the flap of skin, fat, and lean where the hock joins the shoulder
(fig. 76). The jowl is removed by a straight cut, parallel to the cut
which separates the shoulder from the side, just behind the curve or
“dip” in the skin where the ear was removed (fig. 77). Bevel the fat
and skin at the top edge of the shoulder (fig. 78).
[Illustration: Man slicing off neck bones]
Figure 75.—Removing neck bones.
[Illustration: Man slicing off fat from shoulder]
Figure 76.—Trimming pork shoulder.
[Illustration: Man slicing off jowl]
Figure 77.—Removing jowl.
[Illustration: Picture of trimmed pork shoulder]
Figure 78.—Trimmed pork shoulder.
The shoulder can be divided into a picnic shoulder and a blade Boston
roast by making a cut at a right angle to the sides, starting one-half
inch below the edge of the blade bone (figs. 79 and 80). Bevel the
skin and fat along the edge of the picnic shoulder (fig. 81). Remove
the skin and fat (clear plate) from the Boston roast by starting at
the corner over the blade bone and lifting it up and back (fig. 82).
Trim the surface fat to a thickness of approximately one-fourth inch
(fig. 83).
[Illustration: Man slicing shoulder into two pieces]
Figure 79.—Preparing Boston and picnic shoulder.
[Illustration: Two roughly equal size shoulder parts, fat side down]
Figure 80.—Boston and picnic shoulder.
[Illustration: Picnic shoulder fat side up]
Figure 81.—Trimmed picnic shoulder.
[Illustration: Man pulling up and slicing off shoulder fat cap]
Figure 82.—Trimming Boston shoulder.
[Illustration: Trimmed Boston shoulder, fat side up]
Figure 83.—Trimmed Boston shoulder.
The blade Boston roast can be sliced into steaks or used as a roast.
It can be made into a boneless cut by removing the portion of the
blade bone (fig. 84). The roast can be rolled and tied with strong
twine or cord to make an easily carved roast (fig. 85). Be sure to tie
the roast so that the back muscles run lengthwise.
[Illustration: Boston shoulder with blade bone sliced off]
Figure 84.—Removing blade bone.
[Illustration: Rolled Boston shoulder tied with loops of string]
Figure 85.—Boneless, tied Boston shoulder.
Separate the spareribs from the belly by cutting closely underneath
the ribs beginning at the flank end of the ribs (fig. 86).
[Illustration: Man slicing off spare ribs]
Figure 86.—Removing spareribs.
Prepare a bacon side from the belly by first trimming the lean at the
shoulder end approximately the same thickness as the lean in the area
where the spareribs were removed. Remove any thin or ragged pieces of
lean. Turn the belly over and press it flat. Remove the lower edge by
a straight cut, parallel to the cut separating the belly from the loin
and just inside the teat line on gilt and barrow bellies (fig. 87).
Any enlarged or dark mammary glands should be removed. Trim the flank
edge at a slight angle so the bacon side is approximately 1 inch
longer on the midline edge—the side opposite the cut made to separate
the loin from the belly. This extra length will compensate for
differences in shrinkage during curing.
[Illustration: the belly and trimmed edges]
Figure 87.—Trimming belly.
Sausage is made from the fat and lean trimmings produced from making
trimmed hams, loins, bellies, picnic shoulders, and Boston roasts. If
lean or additional sausage is desired, a picnic shoulder can be boned
and added to the trimmings. Sausage should have a lean content of more
than 50 percent. Remove skin, bone, cartilage, and bloody portions
from the meat before grinding (fig. 88).
[Illustration: Man slicing small portions off bones]
Figure 88.—Skinning pork trimmings.