GASS The Gentlemen's Ale Sampling Society 1982-2017 35 YEARS OF BEERS
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THE MARCH 2008 MEETING
BUTCHERY!
Location: Stede Court Estate, Harrietsham. Date: Tuesday 4th March 7.30pm
We assembled in a freezing cold barn in the middle of a wet and snowy winters night to be faced with this -
Three bisected pigs, snoozing quietly, not a care in the world. Only a day or so earlier they had been cheerful free range Berkshires and Saddlebacks from Clearview Farm, today they were pig-meat!
The farmer, Matt Endersby, and his able assistant, slaughter man Matt (made remembering names easier) took us through the process of reducing these poor little ex-piggies down to tasty oven-ready cuts of pork.
To say that it was dangerous and bloody was an understatement. The Hon Sec was forced to bring out the bandages and spent quite some time trying to get elastoplasts to stick to bloodied digits whilst the erstwhile butchers where still trying to carve with their free hand. It was a sort of communal blood lust, a veritable charnel house. No sooner had Matt & Matt taken us through the intricacies of separating bones from edible bits than the members set to with a will. Matt & Matt were amazed at the speed, skill and daring with which GASS reduced three pigs into component parts, bagged them and stored them in the boots of cars, leaving just a bloody mess of bones and guts (mostly belonging to the more careless or kack-handed GASS members) on the tables.
It was actually touch and go as to whether Matt & Matt would be able to wrestle enough decent pork chops off the members to have anything to actually put on the barbie, so fast was the transfer from car-cass to car-boot. Boy, we move fast when value for money is at stake. Poor old Alana was actually daft enough to send a text the following day asking 'is anything left, I was cooking and missed it all!'. Al, you missed it all before the barbie was even fired up mate. Most of it hit the inside of various freezers in Sittingbourne before the pubs shut!
Here are some photos to give you a flavour of the evening, including Neil eating a very, very lightly cooked pigs eye, and I mean eating, not the cheating method of swallowing it whole, I mean crunching down on it first - yeeeuggh!
NICK - BE WARNED - THIS IS NOT FOR YOU, OR THE SQUEAMISH AMONGST OUR VIEWERS. It is enough to turn a vegetarian into a vegan.
The pigs and the expertise were supplied by Matt of Clearview Farm, Milstead. To place an order for superb home reared meat, lamb or rare breed pork, lovingly raised to the highest standard call 01795-830190 or 078809-28893 or email matthew-clearviewfarm@fsmail.net Matt also offers a BBQ service, catering for all parties and events.
PLEASED TO MEET YOU - MEAT TO PLEASE YOU. (That is Matt's slogan, don't bloody blame me!)
A great evening was had by all and most of us scarpered with the best part of £40 quids worth of meat each at trade prices (sorry Al, did not mean to rub it in). Thanks go to Matt & Matt for a great night - and an especial thank you from me to Matt because he came back and removed about half a ton of bones and entrails the following day, not a job I was particularly looking forward to I can assure you.
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