Care should be taken not to bruise the animals in handling them just before killing. Bruises cause the blood to settle in the part of the carcass affected, presenting an uninviting appearance, besides affecting the curing qualities of the meat.
Before killing, a twenty-five hour fast, plenty of clean water, careful handling and rest, are all important items in securing the best quality of meat, either for cooking fresh or for curing purposes.
Bleeding and Dressing Hogs
§ 11. Tools
The essential tools for doing good work at killing time are: A good sticking knife, a cleaver, a 14-inch steel on which to sharpen the knives, hog hooks, bell-shaped scrapers, meat saw, and gambrel. More than one of each tool is necessary if many hogs are to be butchered and handled efficiently. A block and tackle will reduce labor in hanging the hog for gutting.
§ 12. Scalding Equipment
In China, the water for scalding is heated in a sort of a furnace commonly called t’ong chue ts’o. (劏豬灶). The furnace is made of brick and concrete, or concrete only. It is usually about thirty-six inches wide, six feet long, and twenty-eight inches high at one end, gradually sloping to about twenty-six inches high near the other end, where a large brass or iron basin for holding water is placed over a fire grate. The basin in which the water is heated is usually about twenty inches in diameter, eight inches deep in the center, and diminishing in depth from the center to the rim. The shallow basin with large contact with the fire obtains quick heating and saving of fuel. The top of the furnace is made to slope from all sides toward the bowl so that, when hot water is poured on the hog which lies on the table, the water runs back into the basin.
§ 13. Killing the Hog
All tools and apparatus used in killing and handling the animal should be ready before it is killed. The knives and saws should be sharp and clean. The water should be near the boiling point and the block and tackle ready, if one is to be used.
The common and most satisfactory method of killing the hog is by severing the large arteries and veins in the neck of the animal with a sticking knife about nine inches long. The animal should be laid on its back and held firmly while it is being stuck. Two men can handle a large hog if they work intelligently. By reaching under the animal and grasping the opposite legs and suddenly jerking the legs, a heavy hog can be easily turned over on its back. One man standing astride the animal with his feet close against its sides, and holding the front legs, can easily control it while the other does the sticking.