Dig a hole about 2 ft deep, hog inside and hole covered with a steel plate.... build a fire next to it, when the coals get good and hot put them on the steel plate and repeat all night... We usually do them down by the river and stay up all night running jugs, keeping the coals going and socializing with some adult beverages.
What size hogs do you guys target for eating?
- Thread starter phil mcwilliam
- Start date
Dig a hole about 2 ft deep, hog inside and hole covered with a steel plate.... build a fire next to it, when the coals get good and hot put them on the steel plate and repeat all night... We usually do them down by the river and stay up all night running jugs, keeping the coals going and socializing with some adult beverages.
To much is made, IMHO, of the whole size/sex thing on hogs.
Usually comes down to how you handle them after they hit the ground. Only bad one in the last 40+ years that I can remember was a big sow that we shot on a island of the Georgia coast. Took us hours to drag her, and another smaller one along with shotguns and stands the 3 1/2 miles to the road where she waited for at least another couple of hours before she got to the cooler.
It was January but not really cold, just cool. To say she was spoiled in the sense of being UNSAFE to eat would be untrue, but was she good.....no.
Our fault.....not hers.
The point being that time, place, temp, all the rest play a big part.
All that said I'll admit to doing as most suggest and aiming smaller, more so that my old back has a easier time getting it to the truck than for any other reason.
Now if I can just get Louann to go along with the program......
Usually comes down to how you handle them after they hit the ground. Only bad one in the last 40+ years that I can remember was a big sow that we shot on a island of the Georgia coast. Took us hours to drag her, and another smaller one along with shotguns and stands the 3 1/2 miles to the road where she waited for at least another couple of hours before she got to the cooler.
It was January but not really cold, just cool. To say she was spoiled in the sense of being UNSAFE to eat would be untrue, but was she good.....no.
Our fault.....not hers.
The point being that time, place, temp, all the rest play a big part.
All that said I'll admit to doing as most suggest and aiming smaller, more so that my old back has a easier time getting it to the truck than for any other reason.
Now if I can just get Louann to go along with the program......
. Loldieselbeef
New member
feed the buzzards and shoot them too....
GruntgunDr
Inactive
Hogs!
The ones we see are the ones I target. You can eat them all.
The ones we see are the ones I target. You can eat them all.
reynolds357
New member
75 pounders. They will fit in my smoker whole.
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
All meat is tied into what it eats. And indeed is going to have that flavor. Most pork and beef products are aged a week or better when purchased in a grocery store. I would say the very minimum amount and animal needs to be aged in a cool place is 3 days. To eat a fresh kill on some game. One can expect tough gamy tasting meat perhaps a slight case of diarrhea if their body system allows for it to happen. Being where I reside. If I take an animal in the late Fall here and its cold. I gut and skin it as quickly as I can. 1/4 it and cover with a tarp. (Never store or age meat in a plastic bag) and let that meat age in the back of my hardly used pick-up box. (Box has a lockable Glass-lite cover.) for 2 weeks in the near freezing cold than thaw, cut, and package. My suggestion. You should pep game meat before eating for it to be enjoyed by all seated at your table. Kids especially.
Yearlings or smaller sows, always the bigger sow with piglets that show itself first it seems and I don't go for them
the odd boar but have been lucky that they have tasted decent after hanging, hang in for quite abit longer with the boars.
8-10days with the smaller ones and up to 2 weeks with the boars, never under 5 degress celsious in our slaughterhouse/cooler
edit: meant under not over, never over 10 degrees
the odd boar but have been lucky that they have tasted decent after hanging, hang in for quite abit longer with the boars.
8-10days with the smaller ones and up to 2 weeks with the boars, never under 5 degress celsious in our slaughterhouse/cooler
edit: meant under not over, never over 10 degrees
jersurf101
New member
For the record brining meat in salt water adds water to the meat making it more juicy. An example would be salt pills for troops so they can retain water or water added and salt brined hams. The more salt the more water something can absorb
I've only ever eaten feral hog that was already killed and cooked. Sadly I wasn't able to participate in the hunt the last time I was in a place that had a hog population.
That said the last meal of hog I'd eaten was from a hog that was close to 200lbs after field dressing. We cut some of it up small and stir fried it over VERY high heat while the rest we smoked for a day. It all tasted very good and the smoked meat was falling off the bone tender. The stir fried stuff wasn't as tender but I wouldn't say it was overly tough. I had no trouble chewing and swallowing it. As for the taste - there was a certain amount of gaminess but it didn't bother me or any other diners at all. Of course the disclaimer should be made that I actually enjoy a good amount of gaminess in my meat (unless its from the store or a butcher then it shouldn't be gamey.)
I process every animal I hunt ASAP. I don't hang the meat or age it at all. Usually if its deer I'll gut it and hang it for the day till I can take it to the registration station. Once registered I'll take it home and process it that evening. If I'm at deer camp then the deer is processed after I come back from registration and is packaged into Foodsaver packages and vacuum sealed that night. If its cold enough outside to freeze I toss them in the back of my suburban and leave them to freeze. If it isn't freezing outside I stick them in coolers with ice till we get home then they go into the freezer. Typically the first deer taken is consumed at deer camp after registration.
Back to the original question - I'd eat any size hog I get the chance to shoot.
That said the last meal of hog I'd eaten was from a hog that was close to 200lbs after field dressing. We cut some of it up small and stir fried it over VERY high heat while the rest we smoked for a day. It all tasted very good and the smoked meat was falling off the bone tender. The stir fried stuff wasn't as tender but I wouldn't say it was overly tough. I had no trouble chewing and swallowing it. As for the taste - there was a certain amount of gaminess but it didn't bother me or any other diners at all. Of course the disclaimer should be made that I actually enjoy a good amount of gaminess in my meat (unless its from the store or a butcher then it shouldn't be gamey.)
I process every animal I hunt ASAP. I don't hang the meat or age it at all. Usually if its deer I'll gut it and hang it for the day till I can take it to the registration station. Once registered I'll take it home and process it that evening. If I'm at deer camp then the deer is processed after I come back from registration and is packaged into Foodsaver packages and vacuum sealed that night. If its cold enough outside to freeze I toss them in the back of my suburban and leave them to freeze. If it isn't freezing outside I stick them in coolers with ice till we get home then they go into the freezer. Typically the first deer taken is consumed at deer camp after registration.
Back to the original question - I'd eat any size hog I get the chance to shoot.
wooly booger
Moderator
It is the duty of any pitmaster to watch the fire all night....or at least until all the beer is gone.