No, I didn’t get sliced up. I attended a butchering pig class last night in Brooklyn Kitchen. Butcher Tom Mylan did a marvelous job cutting a half pig in front of us. He cut the pig into loins, shoulder, pork belly, ribs, chops, etc. The pig was slaughtered last Thursday at Fleisher’s and had been well stored. Since I have been eating grass-fed and organic meat, meat has never tasted so fresh, especially for “rare” lover like myself. I took some pictures to share with you.

Warning: images can get too graphical for some people.

Brooklyn Kitchen storefront.

Butcher Tom Mylan. I’d love to be his apprentice for one day and experience the adrenaline for cutting meat!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5…5th rib, chop. That’s the upper part of the pig, where delicious shoulder is located.

Our beloved pork chops and ribs.

Pork belly. Add salt for curing, you get bacon and pancetta.

Beautifully butchered pork chops. My dinner on Wednesday night.

My childhood favorite - ham!

Loins in one piece: sirloin, bottom round, top round, and eye round.

Pieces that I took home:

Trotter. Don’t be scared. Trotter is good for braising. Its final gelatinous and meaty texture makes it one of my favorite pieces of pork.

Cowboy pork chop - hold that bone and bite the meat off like a real man!

Shoulder…at least 3 lbs. Dinner party Saturday night?

Top round (a type of loin). I cut some pieces for my friends and roasted the rest for today’s lunch.

Have I scared you away or made you salivate for some delicious pork?