The fear has left me

I am no longer scared.

Any fear that was there 48 hours ago is gone. It's just me and Wilbur now.

I was seriously frightened when I picked up the pig on Friday. I thought there is no way I can cook this monstrosity.

But he's on the smoker right now, smoking away.

I thought I was never going to eat pig again, but that was foolhardy. I saw his tongue, his teeth, and I thought there is no fucking way this is going to happen.

But he smells delicious.

Pictures throughout the day.

Amish Paradise

We got the quote for the Berkshire heritage piggy.

And it was a little high. I mean, in another life, $400 for a pig wouldn't seem too bad, but it does seem rather decadent for a trial run.

So I called some other farms, and then I called some butchers. Butchers apparently know where to get great meat.

We got a butcher in Crofton that gets his pigs from some Amish farmers on the Delmarva peninsula. And it's about half the cost.

Let me know what you think. Did I compromise down?

Pigling Bland

Oh Twitter, how I love thee.

A guy I met in a gay bathhouse... er online through Twinkle/Twitter has agreed to be my whole hog Shaolin temple master.

He's done a few pickin's before, and seemed really interested in helping me on my path to true porcine enlightenment.

Our first order of business: Will I smoke him in Bertha, my trusty barrel smoker, or will Delicious get his own cinder block makeshift pit.

We're open for ideas.

We has pig!

I have confirmed with Lynne.

We have a pig. Pastured, free ranged, no antibiotics or growth hormones.

89 lbs dressed. This will be a glorious pickin.

What shall we name our fourth little piggy?

Smokey? Bandit? Or just simply Delicious?

Back in Black!

We're on.

Just got an email back from Lynne of Ferguson Family Farms up north of Balto, and she raises roasting pigs that are free range and grass fed.

$3.50 a pound is a bit higher than I wanted to pay, but if that includes transport, butchering, splitting and dressing, I might come out slightly ahead.

Now that the biggest item has been settled, now on to cooking and seasoning.

Just salt? My rub? Vinegar?

It's a new day

Never one to give up, a friend directed me to Eat Wild, and we're contacting some other pork producers.

So that's good to know.

I'm also cold calling some butchers today as well. This will more than likely not generate the kind of pork I'm looking for, which makes me a sad panda.

I'm not against commercial pork. It's consistent, even if not terribly flavorful. But when other options exists, especially when the premium paid for said options isn't a terrible expense, I feel I should at least make better than a good effort to go out and find it.

Am I right?

Anyways, I think there are enough local pork producers that feed, raise, and slaughter their pigs in a manner that's agreeable. And I will find one.

Our first letdown

Called up Babes in The Wood to see what it would cost me total to get a whole pig by Easter.

The guy (he was very nice.. british or Irish.. something from across the pond), told me that he has a hog shortage this year, and that he wasn't selling any smaller ones (we're looking for a baby piggy). Only full grown ones, between 250 and 300 pounds. For the cuts mostly.

So sad. His pork is fucking incredible.

Now we're back to square one. We've got some leads, but time's running short. We're going to do the best we can.