More stupid pigs.

[beastep]

Just curious, how does sausage from wild pig compare to store-bought? I'm not a huge fan of deer, honestly, don't care for the gaminess, and yes, I've heard all the methods to remove it. But I'm asking about pig... am I gonna get one of these (someday) and think, "Ugh, no mas!"? We eat a lot of sausage in my house, we use it for many things to mix in or substitute for ground beef, so I would like to think about taking some hogs for that purpose.

I know the boars are not supposed to be good to eat, so that makes me wonder if the gals are just "less" of the same, thus people can tolerate them. I don't like gamey, musky, whatever kind of taste. I lived in Ireland for a year and all their meat (except the chikkin) tasted funny, because they didn't grain-feed it before slaughter (so I was told) - therefore I always skip "grass-fed" meats.


Oh, and congrats on getting a couple more "breeders" out of the way!

Honestly, its fantastic. I used to trap a lot and I would make sausage out of it with some Cains sausage seasoning that came in a small plastic lined white paper sack. Man that stuff was some of the best stuff I ever put in my mouth. I regularly made burgers out of it. Now just plain ground wild pork is kinda bland.
I really believe that with wild pigs the most important thing determining how they taste is what their diet is. They will eat anything available so a pigs diet here may be completely different than 2 counties over. I think that is more important than the sex, age, or size. I've ate some that weighed 285, which most people would call 500, and they tasted great.

 

[beastep]

By the look of the "undercarriage" on them, it would appear you got more than just two. Congrats!!

There was a sea of piglets.

 

[MacFromOK]

BBQ covereth a multitude of tastes and odors...

 

[tRidiot]

I dunno... I smoke a lot of pork, but I just put some salt, some rub and smoke it. I don't go in a lot for sauces and such, so I don't want to waste a lot of time on it if it's going to be substandard. After all is said and done with the driving, hunting, shooting, hauling, processing, etc., it'll probably end up costing me more.

I really understand you're not going to be able to predict if I will like it or not. Just wondered if it tasted ANYTHING like store-bought at all, as a comparison.

 

[beastep]

I dunno... I smoke a lot of pork, but I just put some salt, some rub and smoke it. I don't go in a lot for sauces and such, so I don't want to waste a lot of time on it if it's going to be substandard. After all is said and done with the driving, hunting, shooting, hauling, processing, etc., it'll probably end up costing me more.

I really understand you're not going to be able to predict if I will like it or not. Just wondered if it tasted ANYTHING like store-bought at all, as a comparison.

I would say yes it does taste like store bought pig. But its way leaner. You have to cook it like deer. If you didnt live so far away Id give you one.

 

[tRidiot]

Well, that's good to know. Thanks. One of these days I'll have a chance to shoot some...

 

[retrieverman]

For lunch today, I grilled a tenderloin from the sow I killed a couple weeks ago, and it was GREAT. I prepped the meat by "marinating" it for a couple days with sweet and spicy Head Country seasoning, and I was careful not to overcook it. My mouth is salivating as I type this.....

 

[CBarCRanch]

Kill em all Sport! I was starting to think you were going to refuse to kill any feral pigs to protest the new regulations.

 

[swampratt]

Nice kills there!

I shot a mom pig today and a piglet..my bolt action ..223 is just not quick enough in thick brush.
I got mine at 1PM in Love WMA about 1-1.25 miles back into the woods following grown over trails...the pigs have the place well rutted up.
dressed out the female I say was 190..I could not drag it but a few feet and gave up.
I cut the ass end off and the backstraps.. NO smell at all and no ticks or creepy crawlies at all.. very clean and thin hair.

I shot a piglet and left it as a chicken had 2x more meat than that and my hands were full with dragging the hams out.

Females taste like store meat.. but dry.
Males taste pissy even farm raised ones if they have nuts.
When you make sausage do not over mix it after you grind it.
I found grind 1 time and slightly mix,, just enough to incorporate the spices.
Do that and your dry meat will not seem so dry.

I hear if the hair is thin like a farm raised pig then they are eating very well,, if the hair is thick like a grizzly bear they are working harder for their food.
I do not know,,, I do know I liked the pork chops i made today from the one I shot today.. Yea a little dry and tough as I did not age it.. the rest is aging now and hams are in brine.

Both were bang flop no running at all load was 26gr H4895 and 55gr v -max bullet CCI 550 primer Federal cases. savage axis.
So far deer, coyote, bobcat and hogs have all been bang flop with that load.

I have underestimated the .223 for many years.
Just got a .223 last year.

 

[beastep]

Good info there. I've never heard that about the hair. Im not sure how much of it I believe but Ill start paying attention.

I think I may try for a few more this weekend or trap a few. I know a few people that times are tough and could use a couple.