And they used it "all except the squeal." Skin was baked and turned into "cracklin's" (now commercial pork rinds). Head cheese, pickeled feet, leaf lard and rendered lard......Mr. Sorcha's uncle still does a mean Smoke/Salt cure. Haven't been "home" to taste it for years........I do love real ham.

We are lucky enough to have several packing houses nearby who cure their own hams. Not as good as Uncle Charlies' though.