The Virginia Pork Council is pleased to present the Nose-to-Tail Whole Hog Butchery and Processing Professional Development Course with our partners Smithfield Culinary and Culinary Institute of Virginia.  This is a two day course. Participants can chose to attend either or both sessions at the Culinary Institute of Virginia.  Seating is limited to 15 participants.

Hands-On Nose-to-Tail Whole Hog Butchering: Part 1
Monday, February 21, 2022 3:00PM – 7:00PM
Participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of pork carcass breakdown and fabrication, with knife in hand! Focus will include the basic fundamentals of meat selection and utilization while practicing the arts of seaming, boning, frenching, and tying. We will compare chops and steaks cooked fresh such as rib vs. loin chops, and compare baby back vs. St. Louis vs. country style ribs. We will begin the processes of dry and wet cured hams and bacons, as well as the preparation of head, ears, skin, tail, and trotters.

Hands-On Nose-to-Tail Whole Hog Processing: Part 2
Monday, February 28, 2022 3:00PM – 7:00PM
Participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of meat preservation and will focus on further processing of the pork carcass into charcuterie by finishing a variety of cured items.
Participants will produce and compare American, Canadian, and European hot and cold smoked bacons. We will practice making straight and emulsified forcemeats for products such as country style sausage, frankfurter, knockwurst, and terrines. Participants will also learn to utilize the lesser used parts of the carcass to produce products such head cheese, chicharron, and rillettes.

These courses are currently full! To join the waitlist, click here and you will be contacted if a seat becomes available.