# Hog meat



## Organic (Nov 8, 2010)

What kind of meat do you get from hogs? Ribs, bacon, sausage...


I heard someone killed a few hogs yesterday and just left them laying there because he said the meat wasn't any good.

How does it taste compared to store bought ribs and bacon?


----------



## reelsouthern1220 (Nov 8, 2010)

I have heard that sausage is the only way to go so that is all I have ever done, but it was expensive when I just picked up a batch of 60lbs.  But that sausage is darn good and lasts a long time. I am interested in any input for other ways to do it though. Good question.


----------



## rlshunter (Nov 8, 2010)

Nothing wrong with the meat.  I shot my first hogs this year and was a little worried since one of them was a nice sized boar that everyone told me would taste bad. I butchered it up into roasts, sausage and have the backstraps. My wife put one of the roasts in the crock pot this weekend and I was a little sketchy (I made her eat it first). I made pork sandwhich out of it and made quesadillas out if it yesterday. It was great. Other than being a little tougher than store bought meat, it was good stuff. I don't shoot anything that I won't eat and from now on I will gladly shoot a hog. I'm sure those real big boars taste a little funky, but that's nothing some spice won't cover up in some sausage. A big old rutting buck has a funky taste to it, but I'll eat it just the same.


----------



## Curtis (Nov 8, 2010)

That's a waste.  I have been hearing the "no good to eat" line for years.  I have eaten boars and sows (all under 250lbs).  All were great.  Butts and hams make great bbq, ribs can be fattier and thinner than store baught, but just as good.  Ground and sausage is fantastic.  Don't wast good meat.


----------



## smithuser (Nov 8, 2010)

I shot a 300 sow last year, and she turn out great. The ribs, and shoulder and hams smoke like a piece of heaven, and everything else we made into links.


----------



## Organic (Nov 8, 2010)

I've been smoking ribs a couple times a month for a while now perfecting my technique. If I could harvest my own I'd be a happy camper. 

Whats an average price to have one processed?

(sorry if these are noob questions. Just trying to learn here.)


----------



## ccookou812 (Nov 8, 2010)

The really big boars aren't the best to eat but anything from 60 pounds to 250 are just as good as farm raised without as much fat. Keep in mind most feral hogs came from farm stock. If anyone doesn't want the meat let me know I will be happy to take it off your hands


----------



## garnede (Nov 8, 2010)

I have never had any processed.  I always do it my self.  I have never tried any of the big old boars, but the wild hog I have eaten taste very similar to farm raised.  The ribs are a diffrent shape, but good none the less.  

For processing you just need a couple of good knives and a cutting board.  For sausage add a meat grinder, and sausage stuffer.  If you already have a kitchen aid mixer you can get both for $50-75.  Just get someone who knows what they are doing to help you the first time, and then you are set.


----------



## georgia_home (Nov 8, 2010)

i killed 2 today. at about 650 and 845. they were  broken down into main cuts.. by noon. i am slow.

packed them home and will set them up for cooking and  freezing tonight.

do the ribs, just cook much shorter then commercial pork because the are USUALLY smaller / thinner. i made a mistake and over cooked a time or two.

i will be making the family some backstrap stir fry tomorrow. the wife and son like that better then deer.

i used 1 knife, a good buck!!!, and  a sharpener. a ratched rope to hold it up and... tree loppers!!! thats right. it works wonders on the ribs and feed!

i usually have my deer done for me... but i havent found anyone to do hogs, between oglethorpe  county and cumming. quite honestly, a stopped looking because it makes the experience more real.. at least for me!!!

good luck. if your on the forsyth/cumming side of cherokee and get one.. and  need guidance... pm me. i will guide you... YOU WILL DO THE WORK! i will assist.


----------



## Cur'n Plott Man (Nov 10, 2010)

Wild pork is even better protien wise than farm raised. Just quarter the hog up and soak the meat in ice chest for a few days. Keep plenty of ice on it and drain water daily but replace enough of water to soak the blood out. When the water is basically clear and meat is white in color then freeze. To me there is nothing better than a ham on the grill that is basted with a mixture of half Dale's sauce and half White Vinegar.


----------



## scottja (Nov 10, 2010)

Process your own hogs. As stated by others, it's pretty easy. Very few processors will do hogs. Hogs, whether wild or from a farm, are classified differently than deer so a processor has to get licensed/inspected/etc. by the USDA to process them and that license is only good for hog. That's why so few of them do it.


----------



## teethdoc (Nov 10, 2010)

Pork Chops for a smaller sow are some of the best you will ever eat.  Nice and lean.


----------



## Atlfinfan (Dec 29, 2010)

Does anyone AGE the meat before they freeze it?  If so, how long and at what temp?


----------



## scottja (Dec 29, 2010)

Atlfinfan said:


> Does anyone AGE the meat before they freeze it?  If so, how long and at what temp?



Yes, just as you should age venison or any harvested game. I age hogs 3-4 days packed in ice in a cooler with the drain plug out. Then put the drain plug in and brine 24-36 hours in the cooler full of ice and water with 2 cups of kosher salt mixed in. 

I use all my wild game interchangeably with store bought meat.


----------



## bigreddwon (Dec 29, 2010)

Shot a sow Monday night, 70lbs. Tuesday morning her shoulder was in the crock pot and gone that night! So tasty! I've tried the 'soak' in a cooler thing, made the meat taste 'leached' out, won't do that again. Any boar that stinks I don't butcher, buzzards get him. All others get field butchered and given to our customers.


----------



## starvin (Dec 29, 2010)

I didnt see the grill bigredwon.  looks like good eating.

any way, I have grilled the front shoulders and they turned out really good. I cooked one in the oven, it wasnt as good as the grill. Guessing the meat cooked in its own fat. so from now on the grill is the only way for me.


----------



## tsknmcn (Dec 29, 2010)

Organic said:


> I heard someone killed a few hogs yesterday and just left them laying there because he said the meat wasn't any good.


 
That's just a waste.


----------



## tsknmcn (Dec 29, 2010)

Smoke the front shoulders.  Crock pot BBQ from the hams.  Boneless chops from the back straps.  Grind any of the parts you want for sausage or ground pork.  I sometimes use ground pork in chili.  Would work great in spaghetti too.

Wild hog meat is much more lean than store bought pork.  You can fry up a pound for putting in chili and not be able to pour a drop of greasy fat out of the pan.


----------



## AliBubba (Dec 29, 2010)

I take my hogs to a Mexican butcher that makes excellent chorizo sausage in three flavors (mild, medium and hot).  Great eating!


----------



## bfriendly (Dec 29, 2010)

bigreddwon said:


> Shot a sow Monday night, 70lbs. Tuesday morning her shoulder was in the crock pot and gone that night! So tasty! I've tried the 'soak' in a cooler thing, made the meat taste 'leached' out, won't do that again. Any boar that stinks I don't butcher, buzzards get him. All others get field butchered and given to our customers.



I am thinking I LIKE the way you are doing that.......I have never field dressed, just Drag home and hang from something or do it on the bed of my truck.........

I have no problem frying up a chop before it ever gets Cold!  My wife hates me hunting and hates a hog hangin from a tree even worst..........But she did say that fried chop was the BEST shes ever eaten.........even if it was almost force fed

This is how I usually butcher them-this sow is kinda of spotty and I tossed out a shoulder due to the #4shot making it look so bad...............WHAT? It was Turkey season


----------



## dick7.62 (Dec 29, 2010)

I have killed many wild hogs over the years, mostly big boars and have eaten all of them.  All were delicious.  I've made sausage, barbeque, cubed pork, baked ham, chops and ground pork.  I like wild hog better than deer.  All the big boars were good(biggest was 267lbs field dressed).  I always cut a boar hog immediately.  I have seen many people on this site say that this cannot help but I guess I am too set in my ways to stop doing it.  And I also immediately field dress them.


----------



## arkie1 (Dec 29, 2010)

field dress?? a hog??  split the hair down the back, take out the hams, back strap, and shoulders.  I hunt ft. stewart and most of mine are a long way from the road. cant justify carrying all of the trash with me!


----------



## SuburbanShooter (Dec 29, 2010)

Great eating if prepared right. I let it sit in ice like stated above and then soak it in redwine vinegar for a day or so. Then marinate how ever you like


----------



## bfriendly (Dec 29, 2010)

arkie1 said:


> field dress?? a hog??  split the hair down the back, take out the hams, back strap, and shoulders.  I hunt ft. stewart and most of mine are a long way from the road. cant justify carrying all of the trash with me!



I have started carrying a Heavy Duty Bag with me...........think I'll try that if I EVER get to see another hog.


----------



## FlyDawg72 (Jan 4, 2011)

I'm originally from Southwest Florida, and the first weekend of every November my family has a reunion that has ALWAYS featured wild hogs from the local agriculture fields. Friends of ours asked us to help keep the hogs out of their strawberry and tomato fields, and we split the meat with them. We usually smoke the whole hog, and trim up as desired at the time of the "Roast Beast Feast". Incredibly tasty meat, lean and flavorful with very little wasted. Sizes typically range from 125 - 275 pounds ... boar, sow, no matter. We clean them ourselves and I can never remember having "skunky" or "gamey" meat.


----------



## dick7.62 (Jan 4, 2011)

arkie1 said:


> field dress?? a hog??  split the hair down the back, take out the hams, back strap, and shoulders.  I hunt ft. stewart and most of mine are a long way from the road. cant justify carrying all of the trash with me!



Do you mean that you don't keep the ribs, neck, head,chitlins and mountain oysters?  What a terrible waste.


----------



## kickers-N-stickers (Jan 4, 2011)

how would you go about doin the ribs...??? like could you do like a baby back rib by leaving the backstrap on for about 10 inches to get the rib...and could you do like cube steak out of the back hams kinda like you do with a deer...


----------



## dog1 (Jan 4, 2011)

*hogs*

I'm 62 yrs. young and grew up on eating wild hogs and continue to do today.  I don't care what they are, boar, sow, or guilt, they are all great if prepared properly.  The problem today is, most people that harvest wild hogs don't have the means or knowledge to prepare them.

First off, as someone else stated, I always stick their throat arteries, and castrate the males.  Some say it's not necessary to stick and bleed them if shot, but I still do it, helps drain most of the blood.

Second, the best way by far, and most don't have the means or knowledge to do it, but scaulding a hog takes the hair off, leaving the skin (this should be done before gutting, to keep from cooking the meat/ boiling).  Any hog cooked with the skin on will turn out more moist and tasty.  Most skin them because they can't scauld them, which scaulding is an art.

Then we always cooked them with either oak coals or hickory or you choice of wood, this is also a lost art.

A hog cooked this way will shame anything skinned.

I could go on and on about details, but I think you get the idea.

dog1


----------



## walters (Jan 5, 2011)

*hog*

i had one processed this yr he was 300 pds so i had sausage and sliced tenderloin done out of him, they were both great, the tenerloin was a little tough but someone told me i should have had it cubed so i will live and learn, if he would have been around 150pds i would have cut some hams out of him, process was not that bad, cost me about 55dollars and have close to a hundred pds of sausage, 
 i try to kill my hogs instantly i hear if they run a ways it makes the meat strong, i also casturate the boars soon as they drop, it keeps th testoprone out of the meat, thats what i have been told, so i do it


----------



## Spotlite (Jan 5, 2011)

My son killed one Sunday. Gut it and quartered it up just like a deer as always. I have always put the ribs, hams and shoulder on the smoker to make BBQ out of them. I found out that Parmers in LaGrange will cut the meat up also. I am taking the hams and let him make some ham slices and sausage. I have never eaten one that had bad meat.


----------



## HOGSIK (Jan 6, 2011)

@dog1,   how do you scauld hogs cause the few that ive killed, the hair was course an hot boilin water wouldnt scauld any off,, would love some tips pm or reply any info greatly appreciated


----------



## Ghriz (Jan 7, 2011)

Ya get pork from pigs ....sheesh .   All kidding aside the meat is good as long as it isnt a boar over a couple hundred pounds ,and that one i' grind and make mega sausage and brats !..Just this week i processed a 125 lb boar ..we got lots of cubed pork steaks . ground pork and we made abount 20 lbs of sausage ..we packed 15 lbs of it in casing bought from Acadamy sports ,oh we got the sausage spices there as well and let me tell you what .It was the best sausage i have ever eaten !


----------



## mlandrum (Jan 7, 2011)

Nothing is wrong with wild hog meat, as long as you treat it in a sanitary method !   I had some Last Night for supper, and man it was delicious  I CUBBED my own hogs and made my own sausage


----------



## mlandrum (Jan 7, 2011)

That stuff in the mason jar is home made Bar BQUE Sause. that with mayonnaise  makes a great Sandwich with French Frys


----------



## dog1 (Jan 7, 2011)

*Scaulding a hog*

I've had two request about info on scaulding hogs, one on the forum and a pm.

So here goes.  People old as me probably remember that a lot of older folks, grandparent, etc., that farmed are raised thier own livestock for food had syrup kettles, which is a large metal kettle shaped like a large bowl.  These were used as the name implies, to make syrup, from sugar cane.
I have even used a 55 gallon metal drum leaned over to about a 45 degree angle, problem with the drum you couldn't put as big a hog in it as you could with the syrup kettle.  

They would fill with water and most were heated with a wood fire built all around the kettle.  They and I have actually added turpentine from pine trees to the water, which was available years ago.  when I couldn't find turpentine off a tree, I would throw in some green short pine limbs with the needles attached. As the water gets hot the turpentine will come out of the needles into the water and obviously, there's a reason for this.

Now water temperature is the key and I don't have a clue what the temperature was, we didn't have a thermometer to check it.  So, and this works, the rule was when the water temp was right you should be able to drag two of your fingers thru the water without it bistering you, easy to mess up and this is another reason people usually butchered their hogs and cows in the winter months, (also to keep blow flies away).  Cold weather kept spoilage down.  "WARNING" here, if you get the water to hot the only way to get the hair off is by shaving the hog with a sharp knife and this is a major job you don't want to do, this is called "setting the hair" and you'll also be cooking the meat and some will come of with the hair and you don't want that.

If you are old enough to remember, corn was baged in croker sacks which was rough.  We briefly dip the hog in the water/turpentine (now the reason for the turpentine it makes the water tacky and does not effect the taste of the meat because there's really not that much in the water).  We wet the croker sacks and use them to scrub the hog which pulled the hair out.  Takes at least a couple of dippings and maybe more depending on the size of the hog(remember briefly dip the hog) and more scrubing.  Two grown men can scauld a 200 pound hog in 30 minutes if the water is right and will be as pretty as any ham with the skin on it that you have ever bought in a store.  Once you have all the hair off you can then gut the hog.  But don't put the hog back in the hot water because it will try to cook the inside of the hog.  Now you can get every thing out of the hog you want, heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, chitlings, etc.  You now clean the head and cook all the meat off and make brunswick stew out it.

The most time consuming part is geting the water heated.  This seems like a lot of work, but trust me, a hog cooked with the skin on will shame a skined one.

Most places that butcher hogs commercially are set up to scauld hogs.  I had some friends that butchered every thing for people, hogs, cows, deer, etc.  They only scualded a hog on Thursdays because of having to heat the water but they didn't do it the old time way and had automatic spinning brushes the hog passed thru (kind of like a car wash), and the brushes would take off all the hair.  Problem with their set up for hogs they only did this on Thursdays and we can't normally plan the day to kill a wild hog, so thats why skining is now the main way.  I use to occasionally, here in the last few years buy a tame hog from a hog farmer and carry it to my friends alive on Wednesday and they would kill and clean the hog for about 40 dollars on Thursdays.  My friend died this past year and have to find someone else.  I've got  another friend with a syrup kettle and he says he's going to set it up for scaulding hogs,  hope he does.

Editing for one more important fact.  When cooking a scaulded hog, always cook with the skin side down.  This helps in not burning the meat, plus the skin holds in the moisture and you don't have to turn the meat over.  Also, not having thermometers to check the meat,  I was always taught to keep the  meat driping (grease cooking out of the meat), so watching and listening was very important, if not driping the temp is to low.  Also as CW3 said after my post, sticking doesn't change the taste, particularly if the hog was shot.  But as I grew up following my grandfather and father hog hunting with dogs, when the hog was caught, they would move in and with one very sharp knife and one accurate  stick with the knife in the throat area, they would stick the jugular (?) vein and the hog would completely bleed out as the heart beat.   They would also immediately castrate the boar, both these procedures did assist in the taste of the meat.  As with any animal that has been run down by dogs (even deer), they are hot and need cooling asap.

Hope this helps,
dog1


----------



## siberian1 (Jan 7, 2011)

Thanks Dog1 !!


----------



## hatchrooster (Jan 8, 2011)

My buddy Killed a Boar a couple of week's ago.After we pulled the gut's out of it it was 156lbs.He smelt pretty good also so we were wondering how it would taste.do to what we heard about them. Got the meat back from the processor's and fixed some sausage this morning and it was good.My daughter and her friends really liked it also.He had pork chop's,boston butts and sausage made out of it.


----------



## AliBubba (Jan 8, 2011)

Dog1, thanks for the informative post.


----------



## ClydeWigg3 (Jan 8, 2011)

Cutting a dead boar will do nothing to help the taste.  When the hog dies everything stops.  Nothing to carry the testosterone through the hog.


----------



## JayTee (Jan 10, 2011)

dog1, thanks for the walk down memory lane.

I grew up on a farm & we killed & butchered a couple 3 or 4 hogs for ourselves every year, but that was a long time ago.

I never got to do any of the masterminding, but I think we did just like you said. I guess thats gonna be another lost art one day.


----------



## shooting50 (Jan 10, 2011)

ClydeWigg3 said:


> Cutting a dead boar will do nothing to help the taste.  When the hog dies everything stops.  Nothing to carry the testosterone through the hog.



You just try tell the old timers that!! I'll stick with there advice they have been around much longer and done more of it. Anyway ever heard of leaching, nothing has to be working!!!! It can taint the meat and will, not every time but enough that it is a necessary procedure.

Ever tried to eat tainted meat? Why does process houses turn away non castrated hogs? Why does the farmer have to castrate them?   I think I'll stick to what I know! And if you prefer, not to castrate then to each his own, but I will continue do what I have been taught by Elderly smarter people.


----------



## ClydeWigg3 (Jan 10, 2011)

Going on the assumption the the circulatory system stops when the heart stops beating (you'll have to trust me on this) there'd be nothing there to circulate the testosterone.  Stop and think about it a minute.  I love talking to the old timers about everything - they have much wisdom to share.  This however isn't one of them.  I too have heard that said many times, but there really isn't any way it can help.  





shooting50 said:


> You just try tell the old timers that!! I'll stick with there advice they have been around much longer and done more of it. Anyway ever heard of leaching, nothing has to be working!!!! It can taint the meat and will, not every time but enough that it is a necessary procedure.
> 
> Ever tried to eat tainted meat? Why does process houses turn away non castrated hogs? Why does the farmer have to castrate them?   I think I'll stick to what I know! And if you prefer, not to castrate then to each his own, but I will continue do what I have been taught by Elderly smarter people.


----------



## lungbuster123 (Jan 10, 2011)

shooting50 said:


> Why does the farmer have to castrate them?   I think I'll stick to what I know! And if you prefer, not to castrate then to each his own, but I will continue do what I have been taught by Elderly smarter people.




They castrate pigs BEFORE they are slaughtered. Like Clyde said castrating a pig after it's dead is like pumping up a tire after someone cut a hole in it there aint no point. Ive cooked and ate pigs that were over 200lbs as long as they are treated right they taste fine. Clean it once you kill it and get it on ice.


----------



## medic1 (Jan 14, 2011)

Just don't taint the meat with the outside of the skin.


----------



## pnome (Jan 14, 2011)

Trust me this was some good pine log pork:


----------



## Cottontail (Jan 14, 2011)

AliBubba said:


> I take my hogs to a Mexican butcher that makes excellent chorizo sausage in three flavors (mild, medium and hot).  Great eating!



Where is he located i love Chorizo !!!!


----------



## bfriendly (Jan 14, 2011)

pnome said:


> Trust me this was some good pine log pork:



Dang P, that sure looks tasty!  Man I need to get on one!!


----------



## ClydeWigg3 (Jan 14, 2011)

medic1 said:


> Just don't taint the meat with the outside of the skin.



He said "taint"


----------



## bfriendly (Jan 14, 2011)

dog1 said:


> I've had two request about info on scaulding hogs, one on the forum and a pm.
> 
> So here goes.  People old as me probably remember that a lot of older folks, grandparent, etc., that farmed are raised thier own livestock for food had syrup kettles, which is a large metal kettle shaped like a large bowl.  These were used as the name implies, to make syrup, from sugar cane.
> I have even used a 55 gallon metal drum leaned over to about a 45 degree angle, problem with the drum you couldn't put as big a hog in it as you could with the syrup kettle.
> ...



Regardless of castrating a dead hog, there was another post on the subject of Scaulding a while back and I agree, it is an Art.  One of the best Smoked pigs I saw on here was done for a church banquet. I forget who did it(Sorry-please chime in) but the hog was a scaulded one and it turned out amazing!  

Most of us cant get this done, but a hog will eat good if it is slow cooked and the sauce is good too!  I have always soaked whole or quartered hogs for a few days, then packaged them up-but I usually cook at least one of the backstraps right away!  No need to wait for a snack!

See meat, cut it, cook it, eat it


----------

