Graphic pig killing...warning
Hey all, sorry for the long delay in updating. Things have been really busy here in Zalau. I went to a Halloween party, celebrated Thanksgiving, hosted a Special Olympics event, moved apartments and got a new roommate. Things have just been moving at lightening speed, and before I knew it, it was December first.
About a week ago I went to a party with a bunch of friends. Through a mutual friend, I met this girl named Ramona. She invited me, and about 8 other people to her parents’ house to help with the traditional pig slaughter. I was very excited and accepted this invitation quickly, as going to a pig slaughter was one of the things I wanted to see/participate in but hadn’t had a chance to yet.
About twice a year, usually in September and again in December, families here will kill a pig that they had been feeding all year. The meat from the pig will feed the family for about six months. Usually pigs are killed on or around December 20th, as to have fresh meat and sausages for Christmas. It’s a hard job, both physically and mentally (especially for people who have never done it before). You need about ten people to do it. Ramona’s family did theirs early this year because it was the only weekend the whole family could be there to help. And, they were really happy to have the help of 8 Americans even though we were all inexperienced.
Ok, if you’re squeamish at all, stop reading here. I’m going to describe the pig slaughter. I won’t go into too many details, but it’s still upsetting. So, stop reading if you don’t want to know what happens.
About 8 in the morning, we dragged the pig out from his pen. He weighed about 440 pounds and couldn’t even walk on its own. This meant there was a lot of good meat for the family. The pig didn’t want to leave his warm, safe pen so we needed five or six strong men to drag him out. My friend Dave compared the noise he made to the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park.
Once we got the pig out into the courtyard, Ramona’s father took a knife and cut this throat. Then we waited for it to bleed out. A lot of families collect the blood in tins to make blood sausage with, but Ramona’s family didn’t. The courtyard was built with a drain in the middle just for occasions like this.
After the pig was dead, we took a blowtorch and burned off all the hair and skin. Back in the days before blowtorches, families would wrap the pig in straw and start a big bonfire to burn all this off. It would take a really long time and smelled horrible, so most families now own their own blowtorch. Once one side was clean, we flipped the pig over and burned the hair off the other side. Then, still using the blowtorch, we blackened all the skin, loosening it from the body. Ramona’s dad let us draw on the blackened skin with our fingertips. Then, using really sharp knives, we scraped the skin off the carcass. The pig was a yellowish-pink color.
After that, my part was pretty much done. The Romanian men, who were experienced in butchering, cut the pig apart and separated the meat/intestines/other parts by what they would be used for. The intestines were emptied and cleaned out and the shells of the intestines were used as the casing of sausages. The liver and kidneys were cut out to be cooked separately. They pulled off some skin and, after dipping it in salt, chewed on it like gum. Large chunks of fat were deep fried and eaten as a snack (very tasty). Even the ears and tail were used.
At first I was very upset by the killing. The noise of the pig being dragged out was sickening. But as the day wore on and I saw how every part of the pig was being put to use, and I tasted the fresh pork that we ate for dinner, I began to appreciate the whole process. The whole thing was very fast, clean and professional. And, as an end result, Ramona’s family gets meat for the winter. And, as a further bonus, they saved a lot of money by killing their own pig. They bought the pig for 25 lei (about $10) a year ago, fed it scraps and lost cost meal and in the end have food for the whole winter. In comparison, 1 kilo of pork at the butcher would be about 25 lei on its own.
Well, that’s all for this update. I’ve got a lot more stories to tell, but I’ll save them for another time. I promise my next one won’t be so grisly and graphic. Everyone enjoy the upcoming holidays! I know I will, I’ll be going home to Michigan for two weeks to spend Christmas with my family. I’m VERY excited. I haven’t been home in 18 months, and I haven’t seen most of my family in that time either. Enjoy the snow, if you’re lucky enough to have some!
If you want to know more about the killing, I've posted pics here. But, again, I warn you that they're graphic.
About a week ago I went to a party with a bunch of friends. Through a mutual friend, I met this girl named Ramona. She invited me, and about 8 other people to her parents’ house to help with the traditional pig slaughter. I was very excited and accepted this invitation quickly, as going to a pig slaughter was one of the things I wanted to see/participate in but hadn’t had a chance to yet.
About twice a year, usually in September and again in December, families here will kill a pig that they had been feeding all year. The meat from the pig will feed the family for about six months. Usually pigs are killed on or around December 20th, as to have fresh meat and sausages for Christmas. It’s a hard job, both physically and mentally (especially for people who have never done it before). You need about ten people to do it. Ramona’s family did theirs early this year because it was the only weekend the whole family could be there to help. And, they were really happy to have the help of 8 Americans even though we were all inexperienced.
Ok, if you’re squeamish at all, stop reading here. I’m going to describe the pig slaughter. I won’t go into too many details, but it’s still upsetting. So, stop reading if you don’t want to know what happens.
About 8 in the morning, we dragged the pig out from his pen. He weighed about 440 pounds and couldn’t even walk on its own. This meant there was a lot of good meat for the family. The pig didn’t want to leave his warm, safe pen so we needed five or six strong men to drag him out. My friend Dave compared the noise he made to the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park.
Once we got the pig out into the courtyard, Ramona’s father took a knife and cut this throat. Then we waited for it to bleed out. A lot of families collect the blood in tins to make blood sausage with, but Ramona’s family didn’t. The courtyard was built with a drain in the middle just for occasions like this.
After the pig was dead, we took a blowtorch and burned off all the hair and skin. Back in the days before blowtorches, families would wrap the pig in straw and start a big bonfire to burn all this off. It would take a really long time and smelled horrible, so most families now own their own blowtorch. Once one side was clean, we flipped the pig over and burned the hair off the other side. Then, still using the blowtorch, we blackened all the skin, loosening it from the body. Ramona’s dad let us draw on the blackened skin with our fingertips. Then, using really sharp knives, we scraped the skin off the carcass. The pig was a yellowish-pink color.
After that, my part was pretty much done. The Romanian men, who were experienced in butchering, cut the pig apart and separated the meat/intestines/other parts by what they would be used for. The intestines were emptied and cleaned out and the shells of the intestines were used as the casing of sausages. The liver and kidneys were cut out to be cooked separately. They pulled off some skin and, after dipping it in salt, chewed on it like gum. Large chunks of fat were deep fried and eaten as a snack (very tasty). Even the ears and tail were used.
At first I was very upset by the killing. The noise of the pig being dragged out was sickening. But as the day wore on and I saw how every part of the pig was being put to use, and I tasted the fresh pork that we ate for dinner, I began to appreciate the whole process. The whole thing was very fast, clean and professional. And, as an end result, Ramona’s family gets meat for the winter. And, as a further bonus, they saved a lot of money by killing their own pig. They bought the pig for 25 lei (about $10) a year ago, fed it scraps and lost cost meal and in the end have food for the whole winter. In comparison, 1 kilo of pork at the butcher would be about 25 lei on its own.
Well, that’s all for this update. I’ve got a lot more stories to tell, but I’ll save them for another time. I promise my next one won’t be so grisly and graphic. Everyone enjoy the upcoming holidays! I know I will, I’ll be going home to Michigan for two weeks to spend Christmas with my family. I’m VERY excited. I haven’t been home in 18 months, and I haven’t seen most of my family in that time either. Enjoy the snow, if you’re lucky enough to have some!
If you want to know more about the killing, I've posted pics here. But, again, I warn you that they're graphic.