Francois Vecchio(Leg section)

Breaking Down a Whole Pig the Salumiere WayLeg

The traditional way to break down a whole pig in order to optimize the yield of premium cuts for curing salami and sausages.

During the first week of November 2011, in Palmer, AK at Nate Burris Mat Valley Meats, with Mark Sullivan, Brent Johnson from San Francisco and Mike Phillips from Minneapolis we prepared meats to be ready for a seminar that will bring together 8 chefs to learn the Art of the Salumiere. We had the help of Elizabeth Pepin Silva photographing, we illustrated, step by step

the process of breaking, boning and trimming the meats

This section Leg / To cut and trim

Leg Section

Long Ham ( no cuts to the knuckle ) Removing the muscle inside the pelvis

Oyster Steak Severing the Hip Joint

Lifting the sacrum Removing the Sacrum

Femur / Hip articulations Scoring the hip bone

Precise excision of the tip of the bone to avoid the cut underlining the muscle

Lifting the pelvis from the tip

No slashes or deep cutsLifting and releasing from the underside

Finding the seam between inside the knuckle.

Opening the skin. Uncovering the inside and knie.

Finding the seam between inside the knuckle.

Knuckle exposed, leads to the femur, femoral artery, and vein appear.

Cutting behind the femur to release the inside.

Finding the seam of the inner shank. Inner shank exposed.

The inside can be lifted. Inside separates from the inside of the round.

Cleaning the inside. Inside top.

Cleaned inside. Shank / Inner shank.

Knee. Remove the shank.

Femur head and sinew attachment of the inner shank. Inner shank detached from the femur without cutting into the surface and interior sinews.

Freeing the knuckle bone. Pealing the periosteal on the knuckle.

No slashing around the surrounding meat. Tight cutting of the hook of the femur.

Clean bone, outer shank and knuckle still bound by the perioste.

The ham stays together knuckle attached to the inner shank by the perioste.

Small and clean hole of the femur joint. Inner Shank dressing.

Cut out the fat pocket between inner shank and eye of the round.

Trim a margin of skin around the back of the ham.

Dressing. Leave the knuckle bone in place, cut strait to the achilles tendon.

Cut at the tip of the sirloin. Ham trimmed for Speck or Jambon Royal.

Compact shape held by bone membrane.

Achille’s tendon for hanging.

Critical spots, hip and bone seat.

Speck trim, (Femur membrane still connects to inner shank and knuckle, hip tip, heel and knuckle bone in place.)

Speck or Jambon Royal skin side. Knuckle

Inside 90% shank meat.

50/50 from ham. Ham Fat.