Looks ace! My uncle rears pigs, and we built a smoker last summer which takes the bacon to the next level! (also garlic, cheese, sausages etc…) If you can get hold of a cupboard style metal office cabinet it makes a great smoking chamber, you can remove the shelves and fit some hanging rails in for bigger cuts. HFW is the go to bible for this sort of thing though.

FWIW if you have the patience the air dried ham can be truly excellent!

A smoking chamber is on the cards, just need to do the curing, deciding on which leg to air dry this week 🙂 Hugh is the man we have the 2 books needed between the group with the pigs. Great thing to do.

Its great fun isnt it.

I have a hot smoker, but as same as you, I want to make a cold smoker box and link it up to the smoke box with some foil pipe.

I did this for my 30th Birthday.

Nose to Tail Pig

That’s me on the right hand side.

What they don’t mention is that you get elevensies, an excellent three course lunch with wine/beer and afternoon cake and tea included. Pretty good value IMO.

I’ve not butchered a whole pig before (but I have done a few deer). Here’s a snap of some bacon I made from someone else’s pig: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrwalker/4165348697/

Jest sorting out my Bacon & panchetta bits and making my curing box for the ham, couple more busy days and the world supply of salt to follow.