texashuntingforum.com logo
Main Menu
Advertisement
Affiliates
Advertisement
Newest Members
nmmuledeerhunter, Dzia-Dzia, TraeMartin, Beatixre, MooseSteed
71989 Registered Users
Top Posters(All Time)
dogcatcher 110,788
bill oxner 91,416
SnakeWrangler 65,416
stxranchman 60,296
Gravytrain 46,950
RKHarm24 44,585
rifleman 44,461
Stub 43,769
Forum Statistics
Forums46
Topics537,029
Posts9,719,582
Members86,989
Most Online25,604
Feb 12th, 2024
Print Thread
Butchering questions #8041578 11/07/20 04:48 PM
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 58
T
Tw0fish Offline OP
Outdoorsman
OP Offline
Outdoorsman
T
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 58
A few questions from an inexperienced hogger.

1, I know folk have talked about just taking the back straps off because hawg are so plentiful where they’re hunting. Do hogs have tenderloins worth going after? I’ve never heard mention of them specifically.


2, on male hogs past a certain age they start fighting and build up a ‘shield’ - is that just tough skin or are the forelegs really no good for cooking?


Jordan

"It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them." -- G. K. Chesterton
Re: Butchering questions [Re: Tw0fish] #8041615 11/07/20 05:21 PM
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 15,606
6
603Country Online Content
THF Celebrity
Online Content
THF Celebrity
6
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 15,606
I take the back straps and debone the hindquarters. The rest becomes coyote bait.


Not my monkeys, not my circus...
Re: Butchering questions [Re: 603Country] #8041746 11/07/20 07:40 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,493
D
der Teufel Offline
Veteran Tracker
Offline
Veteran Tracker
D
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,493
Originally Posted by 603Country
I take the back straps and debone the hindquarters. The rest becomes coyote bait.


Same here. There are very few hogs that I leave behind. I usually take the back straps and leg quarters. The hindquarters get deboned. The shoulders from a large (>140Lbs or so) get deboned. That goes to various things, mostly ground meat. Smaller shoulders go on the smoker. There are tenderloins, but even on a large hog they're pretty small, and I don't bother trying to get them.

Here's a video that shows the approach I take to cleaning hogs in the field.
https://youtu.be/m-BmX-3Qqa4?t=30


I have two unwritten rules:
1.
2.
Re: Butchering questions [Re: Tw0fish] #8041819 11/07/20 09:20 PM
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 513
K
kman2017 Offline
Tracker
Offline
Tracker
K
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 513
I quarter the pigs I keep and smoke the quarters. Tried the backstrap once and it was too tough, and it was off a small pig too. When you butcher it, don't bother gutting it or anything else. Hang it by the legs, skin it, and you can get the quarters off without a saw. If it is a large pig, skinning is by far the hardest part because if the shield/scar tissue it has built up. When we tried to clean them at our place we had it to where we could. Can do a <100lb pig pretty quick.

Re: Butchering questions [Re: kman2017] #8041830 11/07/20 09:33 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 19,129
B
Biscuit Offline
THF Celebrity
Offline
THF Celebrity
B
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 19,129
Originally Posted by kman2017
I quarter the pigs I keep and smoke the quarters. Tried the backstrap once and it was too tough, and it was off a small pig too. When you butcher it, don't bother gutting it or anything else. Hang it by the legs, skin it, and you can get the quarters off without a saw. If it is a large pig, skinning is by far the hardest part because if the shield/scar tissue it has built up. When we tried to clean them at our place we had it to where we could. Can do a <100lb pig pretty quick.


Same here

Re: Butchering questions [Re: 603Country] #8041849 11/07/20 09:54 PM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,236
E
Erny Offline
Extreme Tracker
Offline
Extreme Tracker
E
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,236
Originally Posted by 603Country
I take the back straps and debone the hindquarters. The rest becomes coyote bait.



I do the same unless it’s a barren sow about 100 #s. In that case I take the back strap, all 4 quarters, ribs and tenderloin. The tenderloin is hardly worth going after but if I am getting ribs I take them anyway.

Re: Butchering questions [Re: Tw0fish] #8042090 11/08/20 02:06 AM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,248
S
stillhntr Offline
Pro Tracker
Offline
Pro Tracker
S
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,248
Less than 90# they get dressed and put on the smoker, bigger ones get backstrapped and recycled


Hunt Outside Of The Box


Re: Butchering questions [Re: Tw0fish] #8042326 11/08/20 12:13 PM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 11,857
S
Simple Searcher Online Content
THF Celebrity
Online Content
THF Celebrity
S
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 11,857
Getting the tenderloins is easy, and worth doing. They are in the area between the ribs and the pelvis. After the back straps are out you can reach around the spine (without gutting) and remove them without a knife, and it only takes seconds to do. On smaller pigs the tenderloins are fairly tender and come out easy, you have to be careful not to tear them.
I think the shoulders are the best tasting meat and they are easy to remove. I keep them and put them in the Crockpot.

[Linked Image]




[Linked Image]

"Man is still a hunter, still a simple searcher after meat..." Robert C. Ruark
Re: Butchering questions [Re: der Teufel] #8042522 11/08/20 05:36 PM
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 58
T
Tw0fish Offline OP
Outdoorsman
OP Offline
Outdoorsman
T
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 58
Thanks for the advice all!


Jordan

"It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them." -- G. K. Chesterton
Re: Butchering questions [Re: der Teufel] #8043057 11/09/20 02:26 AM
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 72
Chutist Offline
Outdoorsman
Offline
Outdoorsman
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 72
Originally Posted by der Teufel
Originally Posted by 603Country
I take the back straps and debone the hindquarters. The rest becomes coyote bait.


Same here. There are very few hogs that I leave behind. I usually take the back straps and leg quarters. The hindquarters get deboned. The shoulders from a large (>140Lbs or so) get deboned. That goes to various things, mostly ground meat. Smaller shoulders go on the smoker. There are tenderloins, but even on a large hog they're pretty small, and I don't bother trying to get them.

Here's a video that shows the approach I take to cleaning hogs in the field.
https://youtu.be/m-BmX-3Qqa4?t=30


Man that guy in the video is good!

Great video, thank you for sharing! smile

Re: Butchering questions [Re: Chutist] #8045975 11/11/20 01:43 AM
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 924
GNTX Offline
Tracker
Offline
Tracker
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 924
Originally Posted by Chutist

Man that guy in the video is good!

Great video, thank you for sharing! smile


So good I actually linked to the same video in another thread here earlier this evening before I saw this thread. And after trying it out on a couple hogs last spring, I’m sold. Did them right on the hood of my Samurai.

Re: Butchering questions [Re: Simple Searcher] #8045978 11/11/20 01:46 AM
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 924
GNTX Offline
Tracker
Offline
Tracker
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 924
Originally Posted by Simple Searcher
Getting the tenderloins is easy, and worth doing. They are in the area between the ribs and the pelvis. After the back straps are out you can reach around the spine (without gutting) and remove them without a knife, and it only takes seconds to do. On smaller pigs the tenderloins are fairly tender and come out easy, you have to be careful not to tear them.
I think the shoulders are the best tasting meat and they are easy to remove. I keep them and put them in the Crockpot.

[Linked Image]




Thanks for this. I have gotten a little bit of tenderloin with my backstraps before and in the skillet, the difference in taste, texture, and appearance is remarkable. Best part of the animal IMHO.

Re: Butchering questions [Re: Tw0fish] #8046598 11/11/20 04:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,185
H
hook_n_line Offline
THF Trophy Hunter
Offline
THF Trophy Hunter
H
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,185
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]


Sometimes it's hard being me! But somebody has to do it.
Re: Butchering questions [Re: Tw0fish] #8046651 11/11/20 05:19 PM
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,481
R
redchevy Offline
THF Celebrity
Offline
THF Celebrity
R
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,481
I clean hogs just like deer. We eat the front legs flank hind legs straps and tenders. Personally i find that feral hogs are in general better than deer, with that said i dont clean boars. Plenty of good meat on the front legs of a hog, contrary to the name and what many believe boston butts come off the front shoulder.


It's hell eatin em live
Re: Butchering questions [Re: Erny] #8052490 11/16/20 06:12 PM
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 58
T
Tw0fish Offline OP
Outdoorsman
OP Offline
Outdoorsman
T
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 58
Originally Posted by Erny
I do the same unless it’s a barren sow about 100 #s. In that case I take the back strap, all 4 quarters, ribs and tenderloin. The tenderloin is hardly worth going after but if I am getting ribs I take them anyway.


Gotta ask.. how do you determine a barren sow?


Jordan

"It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them." -- G. K. Chesterton
Re: Butchering questions [Re: Tw0fish] #8053195 11/17/20 02:50 AM
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 933
S
Sauerkraut Offline
Tracker
Offline
Tracker
S
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 933
We eat a ton of wild pork. As mentioned above, the tenderloins are pretty small, even on a larger pig. That being said, I still grill them up and they are delicious. I've found that a pregnant sow is the best pork we've harvested.

I clean a pig pretty much the same way I'd clean a deer. I will cook it differently depending on the size and sex of the pig. A boar, especially a larger boar, will be made into sausage, bratwurst, etc.

Pretty much any sow under 200lbs I've found to be pretty good eating, although this varies depending on time of year, diet, etc. I will take the backstraps and tenderloins, marinate them, and grill them. Hams, shoulders, and ribs (depending on size) usually get thrown in the slow cooker, dutch oven, oven, etc...These cuts do very well with slow-cooked, highly seasoned recipes, such as chile verde, chile colorado, pot roast, stew, etc.

I've also had really good smoked hams and shoulders off of a wild pig, although I'm not much of a BBQ guy myself. I've heard brining is the key.

Important to cook any wild pork well-done, but, in my opinion, it's an under-utilized, unlimited source of quality pecan, bug, acorn-fed pork.

Last edited by NicS; 11/17/20 02:52 AM.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." - Ecclesiastes 9:10
Re: Butchering questions [Re: Tw0fish] #8053535 11/17/20 02:36 PM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,929
Lance Vick Offline
Veteran Tracker
Offline
Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,929

Here is a quick way to take the tenderloin



Contact Lance@texashuntingland.com
www.texashuntingland.com
Deadend Outfitters
903-312-0609 Lance Vick
Fun begins where the road ends,
www.deadendoutfitters.com
www.guideonlakefork.com
Re: Butchering questions [Re: Tw0fish] #8053548 11/17/20 02:41 PM
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 14,027
H
Hudbone Offline
THF Celebrity
Offline
THF Celebrity
H
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 14,027
"Gotta ask.. how do you determine a barren sow?" Tight teets is a clue.

Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

© 2004-2024 OUTDOOR SITES NETWORK all rights reserved USA and Worldwide
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3