questions for some of you hog killers

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Originally posted by ishiwannabe:
You know, I have only had wild pig once. It was by far the worst game I have ever had, and I swore it off. I couldnt figure out why everyone was so pumped for wild pigs.
This thread has me reconsidering. I think I might need to try some more....
Thanks guys. Great info here.

In my opinion, there are few things as fine on God's green earth. Something went wrong with the pig you tasted. Try it again, I think you might be surprised.

[Stick_N_String]

Yep,
Wild hogs make for some fine eating. I cut off the ribs starting at the bottom of the backstraps then carve out the loins and backstraps then quarter up the rest of it. I'll smoke a whole quarter for 6-8 hours depending on size. You can also bone out the hind quarter remove all the fat that you possibly can, I use a dry rub made by Head Country to season let it set in the frig overnight then put it in a crock pot with just enough water to cover the meat and slow cook over night, drain the water, pull the pork and add Head Country BBQ sauce slow cook for about another hour then get ready for some of the best eating in the world!!!!!!!

[Danny Rowan]

I can vouch for the way Ray does a pig. Man is it good. Best pork I have ever had.

Danny

[Biggie Hoffman]

1st of all GET IT OUT OF THE WATER!
Keep it cool but keep your coolers drained.

I'm a sausage freak! But smoking the shoulders is a great way to prep some for later use. After it's smoked, I pull it off in pieces and freeze it. Use a vaccum sealer to prevent burn. Easy to thaw out and use in recipes thru-out the year.

[DanDaMan]

I really dont understand the "soaking in water" thing.  I grew up in Louisiana and pretty much everyone does that.  All it really seems to do is leach out the blood and turn the game slimely and white in color.  I wont touch a deer that has been soaked.  Just nasty to mess with.  I think that the fact that it is always so warm down South people think they have to do it to keep it from spoiling.  The concept of hanging meat is lost.  When I tell people back home what I do they think I am crazy, but they always say my stuff is the best they have tasted.

[MikeW]

I think that the fact that it is always so warm down South people think they have to do it to keep it from spoiling.

That's it, Kind of hard to hang meat when it's a 100 degrees out. The ice and water + lemon juice does bleach the meat and lets access blood drain and makes it more eye appealing if you ask me.
I've never had a bad tasting hog.

[leatherneck]

What about javies? I'm hoping to arrow a few in Texas in a couple weeks and was wondering if you all do the same. Thanks.

Mike

[rbbhunt]

Soaking in ICE water for a couple of days is a good and safe way to age the meat and leach out any blood.  You might have to change the water a couple of times.  Just make sure there is ice in the water and the temperature will be ok, just above freezing to 40deg f.

  By the way, I usually like to keep it in a big of chunks as feasable and smoke it.  It is great tasing and tender.

[Biggie Hoffman]

It also makes pork mushy and colorless.
I figured out about 100 hogs ago that keeping them out of the water, iced or not makes for better tasting pork no matter what you do with it.

[jct]

WOW ! I'm with Biggie, never soak meat. Ask any butcher of any animal wild or domesticated and they will stress the same. Stay away from water when it comes to meat. Have you ever seen a cut of meat at a butcher shop thats been soaked ? And you never will because noone would buy it. Soaking takes away the color which in turn translates into removeing flavor. Not to mention promoting bateria growth and whoever said they do that for a month  :(  remind me not to accept dinner at your house.  No offense but thats gross

[metsastaja]

I am definitely with Biggie on this one. Heavy duty food grade bag so water does not touch meat. Drain blood as needed Out side of cooler.

[Jeff Roberts]

I lay the meat on top of the ice with the drain plug open. I don.t age my pigs but will keep deer like this for several days. Again on top of the ice with sometimes a bag between the meat and ice but I never want the meat to touch the water.

[Ray Hammond]

water will never "age" meat...it ain't gonna happen. It takes everything out of it..including the taste like Biggie said.

Pork should never be aged anyway...it doesn't age like beef..its as good as its gonna be the minute you kill it...hanging it somewhere is only going to reduce the quality by a factor of how many hours it hangs.

Get it cold, as soon as possible, NOT ICED. That goes for deer as well. If you age somehting, like deer, do it in dry cold, not wet cold.

[turkeyslayer]

been soaking deer meat in ice water for years,people that never liked deer meat love mine!!ANYWAY I ASKED FOR YOUR BUTCHERING / COOKING SUGGESTIONS not your meat soaking opinions!!!

and oh by the way,the fellow that said (remind me not to accept a dinner invite to your house) I WOULDNT INVITE YOU TO BEGIN WITH!!!!

[tradtusker]

sausage is a good option
backstraps strait on the grill
shoulders are good smocked/ roasted slow.
if you have the option hole young howg on the spit, bbq and brown sugar, beer and your mates, if its at all possible African sunset when you start carving.    :D

[chew]

I just slow smoked a big boar's backstrap this past weekend.  Smoked it with mesquite at low heat for about 4 hours.  Kept it in a foil tray while it was smoking to keep the juices.  Then wrapped it all up in heavy duty foil with the juices and cooked it for an hour or so longer.   Great stuff!

I keep the water drained off the hog while it's in the ice chest.  I've done it up to 2 weeks for deer and hog.  Family loves it and most people that don't know can't tell it's wild pork.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

So, I see that eating habbits are still bit different from the US and old Germany.
We prefer doing nearly every part (except the filets) of a hog by letting it cook for a long time in the oven with several spices and vegetables and to make a sauce of the juices the meet looses and the juice-cook vegetables.
Some dumplings aside and there you are!

And another difference, the skinned animal is left to mature in a cold but not to cold place in the air for at least 6 days, no Ice water. I think thats because the special wild-game-taste some of you dont seem to like is espescially asked for here.

Ohh and BTW instead of grinding the left overs, I find it more tasty to cut all remaining maet on bows etc. to pieces and make a long simmering stew with dried fruits like plum etc in it...TASTY!

[**DONOTDELETE**]

AND, if someone wants exact recipes, just ask, but it would be a bit long writing here

[Biggie Hoffman]

Keith, add a little sugar to your coffee will ya?

Meat prep directly affects the outcome of any recipe. That's why we think it pertinent to this thread.
 People who like meat soaked in water don't like the taste of wild game meat, it's that simple.
If you like it that way that's fine. As far as recipes, you can't do wild hog wrong!

[MikeW]

ANYWAY I ASKED FOR YOUR BUTCHERING / COOKING SUGGESTIONS

This is good as a slopping sauce and to cook with when wrapped in foil.

BBQ Sauce:
1 1/2 cups Ketchup

1/4 cup Orange juice

1/8 cup Mustard

1 1/4 cups Apple cider Vinegar (Apple cider,not regular)

1 stick butter

1/2 tbsp. Red Pepper (to your tastes,this is a little spicy)

1 1/2 tbsp. Dry Mustard

1 tbsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 tbsp. Chili Powder

3 tbsp Molasses

1/2 onion grated (1/2 Red & 1/2 Sweet)

2 tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 tbsp. Soy Sauce

2 tbsp Worcester Sauce