Any recommendations on the "best" way to remove the skin?
I just put 11 pounds in cure Saturday and after trying to skin it decided to wait until after its cured. Hoping it will be "easier" after curing. It was not like skinning any other kind of animal I've done. It sticks to the fat pretty good.
My next batch I think I may buy belly without skin just to make is easier.
dave
Any recommendations on the "best" way to remove the skin?
I just put 11 pounds in cure Saturday and after trying to skin it decided to wait until after its cured. Hoping it will be "easier" after curing. It was not like skinning any other kind of animal I've done. It sticks to the fat pretty good.
My next batch I think I may buy belly without skin just to make is easier.
dave
Yup---Probably closer to filleting a fish, than skinning an animal. IMOOk I had to remove my skin and decided to do it before smoking. I wanted to turn the skin into smoked dog treats and needed to soak most/all of the salt out of it first. After butchering the first pork belly by trying to skin it like a deer, and only getting half way through the second belly with the same bad results, I finally figured out a better way. BTW they don't skin like a deer or other wild game I'm familiar with as they don't have the shiny silver skin layer between the skin and flesh.
So I ended up getting the best results by putting the belly on the cutting board, skin side up. I then slide my fillet knife just under the skin all the way across the belly in the center of the belly. I then just filleted the skin from the center of the belly to the end. It worked incredibly well and I got a much better result. I'll do it that way next time as well just to make sure it wasn't a fluke.
Thought I'd share,
dave
I would'nt be surprised if they sell the nipples here...they sell about every other part on it's own here. My luck I'd buy some belly and it would only have 1 nipple...unusually long.