Apparatus and process for treating pork bellies

A process for treating pork bellies wherein each belly has a fatback side, a shoulder side, a flank side, a lower side and top, the process comprising the steps of:

• positioning a pork belly on a combing table with the flank side forming a leading edge;
• securing the leading edge, the shoulder and flank sides;
• applying sufficient pressure to the shoulder and flank side while holding the belly top and leading edge to reduce the length of the flank side;
• combing the leading edge of the flank side while in the reduced length condition to maintain the flank side leading edge in the reduced length condition;
• and hanging the belly by the comb for subsequent processing to induce belly elongation and symmetry.

Apparatus for treating a pork belly having a flank side, a shoulder side, a fatback side, a lower side, and a base, the apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• a belly-supporting surface carried by the frame;
• belly treating means adjacent said supporting surface including a flank side movable engaging stop;
• fatback side and lower side presses moving substantially horizontally to engage and compress the belly, a hold down assembly engaging the belly face and resisting upward bowing of the belly face when the belly is compressed by the fatback side and lower side presses;
• a comb for positioning in the compressed belly flank side;
• and an accumulation table carried by the frame for holding the treated and combed bellies after removal from the belly treating means for further processing.