STUFFED PIGS RECIPES

Steps:

• Have butcher dress pig, leaving head, tail, and feet intact. Wash pig thoroughly, and pat dry. Combine 2 teaspoons salt and sage; rub body cavity with mixture. Set aside.
• Combine crumbled sausage, onion, and garlic in a very large skillet; sauté until sausage is browned and onion is tender. Remove from heat, and drain well. Stir in bread cubes, chopped apple, walnuts, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, thyme, and marjoram. Combine eggs and 1/4 cup apple cider; mix well, and add to sausage mixture.
• Stuff mixture lightly into body cavity of pig; sew opening together securely using heavy string. Place a small block of wood in pig's mouth to prop jaws open. Insert meat thermometer into pig, being careful not to touch fat or bone. Transfer whole pig to a large roasting pan. Combine melted butter and remaining apple cider; mix well, and set aside.
• Bake stuffed pig at 350° for 2 hours and 15 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 170°, basting frequently with apple cider mixture.
• To serve, transfer stuffing from pig to a serving dish. Transfer whole pig to a large serving platter; garnish platter with parsley sprigs and spiced crab apples. Remove wood block from pig's mouth, and insert apple between jaws. Place maraschino cherries in eye sockets. Cut off legs; carve pork along spine, cracking backbone.

Steps:

• Peel, rinse and cut potatoes and carrots into 1 cm (approximately 3/8 inch) cubes. Blanch in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes, then strain through a sieve, rinse and drain. Peel onion, chop finely and fry in a pan in hot oil. Rinse the meat, pat dry, chop and mix with potatoes, carrots, onions, sausage meat and parsley in a bowl. Season heavily with marjoram, thyme, salt and pepper. Once again mix well.
• Rinse the pig's stomach thoroughly, pat dry and tie two openings with kitchen string. Using the third hole, spoon in the filling to fill the stomach but not too plump and eventually tie with kitchen string. Place into a large pot of salted water, bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly and leave to cook for 2-3 hours. Then remove from the water, drain and arrange on a plate. Serve sliced ??and with sauerkraut if desired.