I'm hoping to take my son on his first hog hunt here soon. I expect that I will take the meat, at least some of it, to a processor to make into sausage. I was wondering if you would be willing to share some of your tips for cooking pig. Do you guys make chops from the hogs you shoot? What's your preference for the hams, etc?

Eric

You can do just about anything you want with it.
I shoot quite a few so I've quite a few options. One can take a hog to a processor and have him turned into chops, ground pork, pork pan sausage, Italian link sausage, jalepeno-cheese summer sausage. It can be saved and added to venison to make all of the above.
I take the ribs, hinds, or shoulders, season with pork seasoning or tony chacheries creole seasoning or memphis bar-b-q rub, some garlic and black pepper. Let it sit for an hour or so, then slatehr with Stubbs bar-b-q sauce or mayonaise. Then put in a cooking bag, in the oven at say 225 degrees for several hours.
The back straps or loins. Take a large bottle of Zesty Italian dressing, 4 ounces of teriyaki sauce, pepper, tony's and garlic powder, mix and put in a gallon freezer bag. Put your loin in the bag and marinade over night. Take your Weber grill, some hardwood lump charcoal, maybe a little mesquite and get it to a good hot fire. Take the pork loin and either cook it whole about medium well or cut into butterfly steaks.

Pulled pork sandwiches with cold slaw is also hard to beat. My daughter makes a killer strawberry pulled pork in the crockpot. I love shooting hogs say 50 lbs or so and take a hindquarter, bone it out and put it in a crock pot with seasonings, even potatoes and carrot and let it cook for 8 hours or so.

Let your imagination be your guide.

Best

GWB

I usually debone the pig in the field and carry out the meat on a pack frame in a cotton game bag (usually very mountainous terrain we hunt with long hikes). Put it on ice at the truck, and at home I'll cut up into meal size portions and vacuum pack then freeze.

As far as serving I like to cut into strips, marinate then smoke the meat.
Also great to make faux kalua pig in a crock pot. Use either banana leaf (available in ethnic markets)or Ti leaves (they both grow in my yard) to line bottom of crock pot and to also wrap the meat before placing in cock pot. I rub down the meat with Hawaiian salt (course sea salt) and liquid smoke (Wright's Hickory or Stubb's Mesquite), then I wrap in the leaves of choice and place in crock pot with a cup of water, and set on low and slow cook for 12 hours. Have yourself a lu'au. 8-)

I'll also give to a friend some meat and he'll make me smoked sausage and I let him have 50% for the work.

I like to marinate 2 inch slices of back strap in a mixture of chopped fresh rosemary, chopped fresh garlic, fresh ground black pepper, and Hawaiian sea salt in extra virgin olive oil. I let marinate overnight then in a HOT cast iron pan I'll sear and brown the meat both sides then place the whole pan in a 350 degree oven for an hour.

Also Tonkatsu which is thin slices of loin pounded flat and floured, egged, then rolled in panko bread crumbs then deep fried is crunchy tasty with tonkatsu sauce or if not available make or own sauce of 50/50 ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, works in a pinch.

Wild pork WAY leaner than market pork so treat accordingly.

Always tried to get my son to shoot the little ones -- not very successfully. Split them and BBQ the halves, or if they are little enough, on a spit whole.

I like the ideas. I haven't had a whole roasted pig since I was a kid int he Philippines. Man, that would sure be good. For the time being I plan to have some sausage made probably some pan and summer. I haven't settled on what to do with the rest quite yet.

quote:

Originally posted by ELeeton:
I like the ideas. I haven't had a whole roasted pig since I was a kid int he Philippines. Man, that would sure be good.

Kid in the Philippines??? That screams for Pork Adobo, Lechon, and Chicharon! Just add some ice cold San Miguel and a magandang dalaga or two.

If you don't have mama's adobo recipe let me know and I'll post mine.

One of the ways I like to fix the little pigs, those that dress out to 5 pounds or less, is to cut the carcass up into about a dozen pieces, season it good, roll in flour and then Chicken Fry it. If done right, it actually will melt in your mouth.

Lora also has a recipe where she rubs a spice mix on the carcass, wraps it in aluminum foil and slow cooks it buried in coals.

quote:

Originally posted by Hawaiian_Hunter:

quote:

Originally posted by ELeeton:
I like the ideas. I haven't had a whole roasted pig since I was a kid int he Philippines. Man, that would sure be good.

Kid in the Philippines??? That screams for Pork Adobo, Lechon, and Chicharon! Just add some ice cold San Miguel and a magandang dalaga or two.

If you don't have mama's adobo recipe let me know and I'll post mine.

Don't forget the lumpia......

Good advice from The Meat Man.

Cooking Wild Boar Meat
Wild boar is lean meat that should, as a rule, be cooked at lower temperatures than other meats. Avoid overcooking. Wild boar, raised like beef, is range fed and therefore can be served on the rare side. A rule of thumb for cooking wild boar is "low and slow". The temperature for cooking roasts for example, is 250-275 degrees Fahrenheit. The amount of time depends on your personal preference as to how well done you would like to cook your meat. For chops, bake with a sauce for best results or if you prefer, pan-fry at a medium heat. Always check frequently so as not to overcook.

Wild boar is excellent barbecued. When prepared properly it is flavorful and very tender. Wild boar also makes tasty sausage, jerky and ground meat products.

When preparing wild boar for cooking remember, never thaw or cook this meat in a microwave, as it will become very tough and dry. Slowly thaw meat the day before and marinate overnight for best results. Pineapple juice or wine is a particularly good choice for marinade because it contains an enzyme that actively breaks down muscle fiber. Therefore it is highly effective as a meat tenderizer.

The wild boar’s light fat layer can be easily trimmed. But many cooks believe the fat layer provides a "self-basting" element and helps retain succulence.


Smoking (slow cooking Quarters or Wild Boar Hogs)

This is the most common and preferred way for preparing wild pork. Usually to be served at friend and family get-togethers.
First of all read the tips and reminders and apply those to those tips in preparing the meat for best results.

Gather your favorite seasonings such as lemons, peppers, onions, potatoes, and any other seasonings that suit your taste and get that part taken care of.

Completely wrap the meat so the vapors are locked in as well as possible and the drippings will not escape.

Slow smoke (or bake) at about 275 - 300 degrees turning or rotating as needed to insure even cooking. The time will vary greatly depending on the size.

Whole hogs should cook overnight or all day. Quarters will usually cook in 5 - 6 hours.



WILD MEAT SOAK and TENDERIZER

Skin and Debone or Quarter the animals out and place the meat in a large ice chest with the following mixture:

ICE WATER!! Along with ½ cup of vinegar and a medium or large (18 - 20 oz) size container or real lemon juice.

Soak large portions of meat for 2 or even 3 days - changing the water as needed and keeping the water ICE COLD and all meat covered with the ice water. Soak the meat till it turns white and all blood is leached out.

NOTE, if the meat begins to darken or turn blue then you got too much vinegar! The meat is not spoiled!! Change the ice water and reduce or eliminate the vinegar.

quote:

Originally posted by Bob in TX:
Good advice from The Meat Man.

Soak large portions of meat for 2 or even 3 days - changing the water as needed and keeping the water ICE COLD and all meat covered with the ice water. Soak the meat till it turns white and all blood is leached out.

I "wet age" both pork and venison, in that after I skin, I put the carcass in the cooler and keep it on ice for 5 to 6 days before I put it up. I keep the "plug" open so the water can drain, and continually add ice.

Best

GWB

ok---this is making me want to go out for a few "eaters" & test some of these varmint loads
What I want to do is catch one head-on & put a round right through the skull--have it done European with the hole in it---maybe cigar holder

I'll see if I can get some pansit to go along with it as well.

Wild pig meat is my favorite 4 legged meat. I much prefer it to store bought pork.

My favorite sized pigs to shoot are those that weigh from 200 to 275lbs. [These are from weighing them on a scale not guessing...]

Sows or boars does not matter. In fact the boars have the advantage of "pig oysters"...

And they are VERY GOOD.

being that my wife is filipino just about all the pork in my house is turned into a filipino dish of some sort. That goes for just about every type of meat that is cooked. Every get together we have there is usually a whole pig from the spit sitting on the table surrounded by a "thousand" other dishes.

quote:

What I want to do is catch one head-on & put a round right through the skull--have it done European with the hole in it---

Something like this?

Bob in TX

I appreciate the detailed info.

Eric

quote:

Originally posted by MyDogsHunt:

quote:

What I want to do is catch one head-on & put a round right through the skull--have it done European with the hole in it---

Something like this?

That's exactly it Details???

Well,,,, that's as close to "bewtween the eye's" as I could get with the dog/pig fight that was going on at the time.
30/30 at 15+/- still dropped him like a stone though. That was in Cali about 25yrs ago and the only Hog I've killed in my life.

Back on topic,,, 250lb stinker that smelled like urine while cooking and tasted worse.
And no, we didn't break the bladder,,, and yes,,, we field dressed and cooled it immediatly.
Bet those 20-50 pounders GeDub killed recently taste allot better. Sure would like to shoot one and see for myself.

quote:

Originally posted by MyDogsHunt:

Bet those 20-50 pounders GeDub killed recently taste allot better. Sure would like to shoot one and see for myself.

Yup,

go shopping



make purchase



prepare meat



season



smoke



compliment with a pot of my "Texas Barking Spider" Beans,



maybe some potato salad.

Not too shabby!

Best

GWB

Now that's my kind of grocery store.
I even like your choice of seasonings, although I don't recognize the second one. Probably a regional thing.
We have to settle for red meat in these parts.

quote:

Originally posted by MyDogsHunt:
We have to settle for red meat in these parts.

I'd bet I could scrounge something up in a pinch.



Best

GWB

Now that's just wrong!

And just so's ya know,,, we only eat the Elk. The dogs are reserved for the anointed one in DC.
Course, I'd never eat her anyway. She catches the "Cats" for me.

10/4!

Best

GWB