I was out at an agricultural show in July and I went over to a stall for something to eat. They were selling hot pork rolls. Well, I can tell you that those pigs were real cos they ran out of pork at the front of the stall and went to the back to get some more. I was standing in line waiting for my turn and all of a sudden I found myself looking into a pig's face. A roasted pig on a serving dish that it is! With black singed ears still on it. Somehow I hadn't imagined that they would roast the pig in its entirety - I had supposed they would cut it up somehow. Seems a waste to roast the head if you're not going to eat it. You can tell I'm a townie - I'd never seen a pig like that!!
Pig in a poke maybe?
Oh dear! I think I would decide a hamburger would taste better at this point!
It tasted good though!
My guess is that it tasted EXTRA good done the proper old-fashioned way with all the juices in!
Yum ;)
Yes, but with the eyes looking at you?
Have you never eaten whole trout LOL?
...or prawns
...or
OK. Yes, we've all forgotten that not so long ago we all had to butcher our own meat. The alternative being vegetarianism.
No part of a pig was wasted, the brains being a particular delicacy!
Nowadays our meat tends to come pre-shrink-wrapped and presented in ways not to offend or sensibilities. Handled and machine trimmed to the enth, with all the flavour leached out.
Though I love animals, I wouldn't want to become vegetarian - partly for the sake of my health as I seem to have a problem with some of the essential staples. I had two veggie aunts, so have thought about it long and hard. Certainly I respect those who choose to live without eating meat, but if we continue to do so then perhaps we shouldn't be squeamish about the fact? A case of double values I feel. Though of course that is my opinion, and everyone else has a right to theirs :)
The head will be eaten too and the remaining bits taken home for some lucky dogs. I can't remember the last time I had a bit of hog roast, occasionally they do beef roasts too, it takes them ages to cook.
DJM, there are no eyes left when they are roasted ;)
Philomel
My Mother would get a pigs head off the butcher and make brawn, my father loved brawn and pigs trotters too. The dog would have the rest and occasionally would find a spot to bury it in the garden *G*
Unfortunately, I'm a little hypocritical, I whole heartedly agree about the not being squemish bit ..... but ..... one year I had 5 lambs that never did well enough to go to market, so instead of going at 6-8 months old, I had them for a full year. They still weren't good enough for market so the bosses decided to have them butchered and give the overstock to the rest of us.
I fought tooth and nail to keep my 'children' and refused to have any of the meat. My boss asked my mother if she wanted half a lamb ... the traitor said yes!!!
Oh nooooo my poor little lambs. Long story short, everyone had slightly less meat than promised since I managed to keep two by devious means and I never did eat any of them.
Silly really because I knew they'd had a very happy and comfortable, if somewhat short life and they had been lovingly cared for. I'd rather eat meat I know had such a life (tastes better for a start), I'd just become far too attached to them ... and I was supposed to be an experienced farmworker LOL.
Yes, we've been accustomed to having all the animal parts that we can identify being removed. If you see some slices of pork in the supermarket it bears no resemblance to a living pig.
My sister is a vegetarian but I'm not - even though I love animals. I reckon it's easier to get a healthier diet if we don't impose too many restrictions on ourselves.
Ah, yes, I wondered whether to mention brawn LOL
My mother used to make that too.
I've actually cooked pigs trotters myself - very tasty! That was in the days when those and oxtail etc were within the reach of people on a restricted budget. They have trotters for sale here - but at a price!!!
LOL about the lambs Baa
A friend of mine won a piglet at a fete, bowling for the pig. (We were both about 11 at the time.) She kept it as a pet and claimed that it was very intelligent (doubtless with good reason)
Her parents (father a vicar!!) smuggled it to market one day. She never forgave them and, as far as I know, has never eaten pork since :)
Well I feel better knowing there weren't any eyes looking soulfully at you! When I was young, chickens were sold at the butchers, feathers and all, and mother used to have to clean them, take insides out and feathers plucked off, and then the body singed over a flame to burn off the little pinfeathers. I don't think I could do that!
Young lambs are adorable! I see lots of them when I go onto the moors in the spring.
I suppose if we're hungry we'd do a lot of things we'd never think of when we're just pushing a trolley round in the supermarket.
Philomel
My goodness, I can just about remember fetes where live animals could be a prize, you wouldn't get away with it now. I'm not sure who to feel the most sorry for, your friend of her father who had to make that choice LOL
DJM
When I was little, we had chickens in the garden (mom rescued them as baby chicks), but no one would kill them in the house so my uncle used to come down and wring a rooster neck for Sunday dinner. I don't think mom ever enjoyed doing the plucking *G*
Northerner
William Blake's line in The Lamb when he states "Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice" couldn't possibly have been talking about baby lambs LOL. Very needy little bags of bones with a voice that carries right on to the very edge of your nerves at times!
Funny thing is, it never bothered me about the calves but then they tend to go their own way as they get older.
Supermarkets are so souless aren't they. OK a hog roast isn't possible on a regular basis, but doesn't it taste sooo much better *G*
Lambs are very vocal right enough Baa! I've sat in the long grass at Farndale and listened to the sounds all around me. Farndale doesn't just look beautiful. It also sounds the most alive place I know. Birds, farm dogs, bees humming, cows mooing, and lambs bleating away. Id never call the countryside quiet!