SC - Pork Assumptions

[LrdRas@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/22/98 12:04:54 AM Eastern Standard Time, troy at asan.com
writes:

<< Is there any possibility that you're making some assumptions based on
 what you know about modern pork farming, and assuming that the methods
 employed by your grandparents and their immediate ancestors are the
 methods that were widely used in period? >>

Agreed. Such experience could possible be entering into my reasoning. Since we
allowed our pigs to run wild in pasture, forageing in the woods and fields and
supllemented their natural diet with sour milk slop much as they did in the
middle ages, those experience cannot be totally dismissed or invalidated.

As I pointed out in Charlemagne's estate inventory , there appear's to be a
definite distinction between hogs and pigs. And from that discription at least
100 of the hogs on the estate had recently been slaughtered. From those
slaughtered,  'lard, 200 sides' had been obtained. 

My previous post should be corrected to reflect 100 hogs not the 200 I had
stated. Platina's example, although extreme was the starting point for my
research into the lard question. As of now I have modified my original
viewpoints slightly. Charlemagne's list clearly shows a large percentage of
hogs were slaughtered for lard production therefor I am leaning more toward
the opinion that a large number of swine were raised for this purpose as
opposed to the previous viewpoint that 'hogs generally were raised for this
purpose'. 

This slight modification of position does not, however, change my opinion that
modern pigs are leaner than period pigs which opinion is supported by direct
conversation and readings of documents produced by the FDA, several
universities and various breeding associations. That research clearly
indicates that the introduction of Chinese pig lines into swine breeds was not
to increase the amount of measurable back fat but rather for the purpose of
bringing market weights to acceptable levels earlier than had been possioble
in the past and for the purpose of assuring a larger number of piglets
survived infancy. It also indicates that the modern breeding of 'leaner' pigs
has resulted in a deterioration in the quality of pig flesh which
deterioration is of magor concern to the pig industry.

While Platina may be a poor example, the inventory of Charlemagne's estates
clearly shows a diffierentiation between 'hogs' and 'pigs'. It also shows that
a goodly number of those hogs were specifically raised and slaughtered for
lard.

Ras
Abhain Ciach Ghlas, Aethelmearc
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