Feral Hog Processing

I field dressed, skinned and quartered a 200 pound hog Saturday morning and had it on ice until this morning. It is now in the fridge waiting to debone and grind up. Is 3 days enough time, or should I let it chill longer before cutting up?

Everyone has their own idea and opinions on it. I wont gut a 200 lb boar. If it was a sow it was likely good to go from when you gutted and skinned it, and if he was a stinker you may as well let him sit on ice till it spoils because soaking it wont do much.

It was a boar unfortunately, however the meat doesn't have an odor to it.

I had to chuckle at that!!! ... but I agree. The stinkers make for good yote bait.

I've done 3-8 days on ice. Processed many boars without issues, ill smell or taste.

Cut a medallion from the backstrap and give it a quick pan fry. You will know when it is good (or good enough) to go. Some boars never get past the "I don't think double seasoned chili will cover that up" stage, others are good the moment you get them on the ground.

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this cracks me up everytime vinegar and lemon juice bath will get that boar deal out.I never gut one anymore hinde 1/4s and backs out rest for buzzards.

If it has to soak for a week in vinegar and lemon juice my best guess is it don't really taste like pork anymore either. Too many good eating hogs running around out there to jack with a big stinkin boar. They make good yote bate, someone gotta feed the buzzards, and the little ones eat 10 times better anyway. Plus the sows tend to have a lot more fat content.

So how big of pig is to big? Or do you just go by smell?

Have killed 250+ lb boars that were still good to eat and 60 lb sow that was not good at all. I think it has more to do with what they have been eating than anything else. Couple checks, slit the belly, if the fat under the skin is white most likely good meat, yellow color well I just opened it up for easier eating for the yotes and buzzards.

Cook a little of the meat with no seasoning in on it just meat in the pan, if it smells and tastes like pork from the grocery store it is good to go. If it smells like a stinky hog, yote bait.

I have killed numerous 200-320# boars and have eaten every one of them. Don't believe any nonsense about big boars don't eat well, why do you think you get more money for the big boars at a live sale or at least last I checked. They are wonderful, any pig I kill that is under 150#s is not worth the effort to me but to each his own.

Yote bait

I would suspect the fellas that sell them like the big ones. For putting on my own table? Ill take a smallish prego sow any day over any other hog. If you haven't killed a stinky one yet just keep going you will get one sooner or later. If you sell them then I doubt you will ever know. The crazy Yankees like the rank taste.

If you skin the boar correctly and don't get the urine on the meat, they eat great. Anything that is going be ground, can be done anytime. If you are making chops from the back straps on a big pig, I like to dry age them in the garage fridge (no water)for around 10 to 12 days. Those big pigs can have very tough meat, but it can be naturally tenderized.

You can also slice up the blackstrap in thin slices for fajitas and put the Fiesta seasoning on it one night and cook the next and it will be very tender.

Crazy Yankee takes that stinky hog and puts it in a pen to grain feed for 30 to 90 days. Turns stinky into very good eating pork. Can eat or sell as organic and turn a pretty good profit.

Some of the taste depends on what they have been eating, what is a good size in one are may not be good in another part of the state.

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