Picked up a tip for breaking down a whole pig faster

I used to struggle with getting the shoulder blade out clean until a old timer showed me to cut along the back side of the scapula first... Tried it on a 180 pound hog last Tuesday and saved a solid 20 minutes. Anyone else got a trick for tough joints like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

theagarcia20d ago

My buddy tried that same trick on a 200 pound sow last month and he swore it cut his breakdown time in half! He was always complaining about fighting with that shoulder blade joint, but now he’s bragging about how smooth it goes. He even said the meat stays cleaner since you’re not hacking around as much. I gotta give it a shot next time I’m breaking one down, sounds like it’s worth the extra step.

foster.ruby18d ago

That "cuts his breakdown time in half" line got me thinking. Ive tried that shoulder trick a few times on different sized hogs and honestly, I didnt see anywhere near that kind of jump in speed. Maybe its just how I work, but I find getting the blade out the old way is faster for me since Ive done it so many times. The cleaner meat part I can kinda see, but its not like the old way leaves a mess either if you know what youre doing. I wonder if your buddy was just having a really good day or if his old method was really THAT bad. Either way, if it works for him, great, but I'll stick with what I know works for me.