I was raised on the Canadian Border, actually looking at Canada from our kitchen window. Always waiting to process when the weather cooled down. Now I have lived in Texas for 18+ years, and plan to stay. I may have the opportunity to hunt some hogs and want to keep some of the smaller ones, under 80 lbs. I plan to cut it up myself as I have done at least 100 other big animals to include farm raised pigs. How do you process the meat and keep it tasting good without being able to hang it in the cool air? Any secrets to cooling and hanging the meat without a walk in cooler would be much appreciated.

Immediately clean the animal, put in ice chest and add lots of ice.

You really do want to get them on ice quickly. The fat in hogs goes rancid rather quickly, so aging the meat like you would an ungulate isn't appropriate.

While the larger ones will be tougher, if you have access to a meat grinder even the tough ol' hogs make good ground meat.

Large coolers, field process and start soaking on ice as quick as possible.

I use a big ice chest. Just quarter the animal, throw in, cover in ice, Kosher or sea salt, and add water until everything is covered. Drain, rinse and repeat daily. I age all my animals for two weeks this way, always comes out great.

NOTE: Do NOT make your finish cuts and then age it this way. Meat will be completely washed out. Just large quarter sections, may lose a small amount of cut end meat, though to be honest I just throw those small portions in the grind and never have any issues.

Thanks Everyone!!

Are you shooting or trapping? When trapping I trailer them home, clean them and they straight on the pit at 225 until the meat falls off the bone. I smoke mine skin on.

If hunting I take a medium size cooler full of ice and a large empty cooler. I quarter them as quickly as possible, toss them in the large cooler and pack them in ice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-BmX-3Qqa4

Check out this video on how to get them quartered fast.

Just get the quarters and straps without gutting. Skin the quarters and put them and the back straps in an ice chest (with ice) Leave the meat in the chest for several days making sure to keep it stocked with ice and draining the water out.

JR

Great video! Thanks for sharing that. Although, I would prefer to get in there after the tenderloins too.

If we didn't have so many hogs i would agree with you. I'm like the guy in the video - with so many hogs just let the tenderloins go and get another back strap off another one.

Definitely easier to get those backstraps, but that tenderloin is mighty nice eating!

SnakeWrangler I am shooting, this is not my land So I'm lucky to have the opportunity. Thanks to Everyone for all the info!

My buddy shot a couple of hogs today as we were coming to check cameras. Used the technique in the video above and while we didn’t come in at under 5 minutes, it was definitely under 10. Got some nice fresh pork on ice. Hoping to get some more in the cooler over the weekend.