How to Remove Hair From Pigs
After a pig has been butchered, one of the least pleasant activities necessary is to remove any hair from the pig. Scalding and scraping a pig can be an uncomfortable and time consuming job, and might be best left to a butcher if you're not feeling too enthusiastic about it. There are two ways to do this, one is the low-tech way, and the other is the high-tech way. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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The Low-Tech Way
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1
Place the carcass on a bed of straw, after you've struck and bled out the entire pig, cover the pig completely with straw. Make sure the entire pig is covered with a layer of mud.
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2
Set the straw on fire, and use bundles of straw to singe the parts of the pig that the fire may miss.
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3
Rotate the pig onto it's other side and complete the above steps again by placing the pig onto a new bed of straw.
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4
Use a bell scraper to remove any remaining scruff and hair from the carcass, once the fire has stopped burning.
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5
Wash the pig completely with water to remove any hair and mud.
The High-Tech Way
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6
Use a propane torch with a flame spreader to burn the hair off the carcass. This will smell pretty foul, so wear a face mask and make sure there is proper ventilation.
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7
Toast the outside of the pig with the propane torch, first in broad sections to remove as much hair as possible. After you've done this, go over the carcass again and singe off any remaining hair that you missed in tougher to access sections.
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8
Scrape the pig completely with a bell scraper to remove any remaining hair.
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9
Clean the entire pig with water to remove any hair and dirt.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Don't remove hair from sections of the pig that you know you will be skinning completely. The process is unnecessary in these cases.
