Limited places for Jack McCarthy's practical "Pig in a Day" Course

In recent years, here in Ireland, a great interest has grown in home-curing and sausage-making. Jack and Tim McCarthy, of Kanturk, Co Cork, are now offering a limited number of people an introduction to the not so basic craft of Butchery.

Their day-long course includes how to make sausages, cure bacon and hams make black pudding, and use every morsel of the pig. You will be shown the techniques and skills required, from primal cuts and knife skills to cures and processing. Basically they will teach you everything you need to know to get your pig from the field to the fork!

All you can eat from one little pig!

This ‘Practical Pig’ course will give a once-off insight into pig production for chefs, foodies and people interested in learning more about pork processing. They will educate you in all areas of pork butchering over the course of a day giving practical exhibitions in slaughtering, boning, trimming, portioning, curing, sausage making and pudding making. 

There will also be a lecture on breeding, feeding and free range pig farming. There will be recipes a talk from Springfort Hall Hotel's Executive Chef Brian McCarthy and a chance to roll up your sleeves and get involved in every stage of production. 

Tim's Great, Great Grandfather, Callaghan McCarthy, at his shop in 1892   

McCarthy's Butchers use traditional techniques and innovative new ideas and Jack & Tim McCarthy have become some of Ireland’s most prominent and celebrated meat producers. Tim is now the 5th generation of the family to be involved in the butchery trade.

They have won two gold medals and a bronze medal from La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goûte Boudin, or the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Blackpudding. This gave them the highest achievement of any participant in Europe at the event. They received Gold awards for le boudin traditionelle and le boudin a grilliere and the Bronze was for le boudin creatif.

The State Banquet, for Queen Elizabeth in March 2011, used the best of Irish Artisan food

Jack developed their "Boars Head" pudding in 2010 and it was named in honour of Kanturk, "Ceann Tuirc" means the head of the Boar in Gaelic. This was served to Queen Elizabeth as part of the state banquet on her visit to Ireland. At the Irish Food Writer’s Guild awards in March 2012 Jack McCarthy received a Special Award for his Exceptional Contribution to Irish Food.

The Practical Pig Course will run from 10am - 5pm on Sunday 21st October 2012. Participants will receive lunch on the day and a gift pack at the end of the course. Places are limited. Introductory Offer - €195 per person

To book online see http://www.jackmccarthy.ie/shop/courses-main/

Zack