Best Sizes On Down For A Wild Meat Hog

[Stonepointer]

After hearing some of complaints in other posts of the meat quality of trophy sized and old boars, what are your opinions of what would be the best sizes on downward, on boars or sows for a wild meat pig in the the freezer?

Also best ages?

 

[Mel Carter]

I would say under 150# but I have killed a 180# boar that tasted pretty good. I killed a 350# boar several years ago that when I cooked it we had to open up all the windows in the house, stunk so bad. Everything I kill now I have sausage made out of it.

 

[myfriendis410]

The perfect "meat" pig is around 80 lbs. gutted. which would put it at right around 100 lbs. live weight. We eat everything that we kill if at all possible, and have only discarded one animal in the last 8 years. All of the others were just fine. I occasionally do sausage, but mainly we do crock pot roasts, schnitzel, ham, carnitas, pulled pork, etc. It's all good. The only caveat is to add a bit of oil (usually olive oil) to add the "mouth feel" of moistness we associate with good meat. In fact I've got a belly full of schnitzel right now, and boy was it good!

Then there's piglet. One totally different kettle of fish entirely. There is NOTHING like smoked piglet. I mean NOTHING!!!

 

[ltdann]

mmmm. piglet....mmmm, you been holding out on me?

 

[myfriendis410]

I got Josh hooked on these a couple of year ago and he started SLAYING piglets to feed his smoker. I treated the base commander to one and that's all he wants to eat! If you can find one in the 35 lb. range you are in for a treat. I smoke 'em and baste with sesame oil and salt, pepper, and garlic for about three hours, then put in a covered roaster and slow cook 'em for another couple of hours or 'til the leg bone pulls out of the meat. Holy mackerel!

 

[ltdann]

I got Josh hooked on these a couple of year ago and he started SLAYING piglets to feed his smoker. I treated the base commander to one and that's all he wants to eat! If you can find one in the 35 lb. range you are in for a treat. I smoke 'em and baste with sesame oil and salt, pepper, and garlic for about three hours, then put in a covered roaster and slow cook 'em for another couple of hours or 'til the leg bone pulls out of the meat. Holy mackerel!

Quit...Stop!!!! its 4 hours till lunch. Your killing me!

 

[559hog]

I just had breakfast and now I'm suddenly hungry again :-/.

 

[Stonepointer]

When you first said piglet, it had me a little bit puzzled but nonetheless intrigued.

I remember eating breaded veal cutlets with parmesan, and melted provolone with oregano which was really good, but now I rarely find veal anymore.

This sounds like something to try with young porklet, but when the picture of what you said first painted in my mind, it was of yanking the poor little porkards from their mothers while they where still suckling at their mother's teets. Something slightly smaller than a nerf football where a few of them skewered through kabob style on as spit rotated over a fire. Or four little piggies smoked in rows on a grill, flavored with lemons for tasty great thrills.

I am glad you stated the size of being close to the size and weight of a turkey, and I do remember how much I liked veal, or even breaded chops for that matter, but I was a little curious if you were just joking around with that description. I have never had what you are describing but it sounds good.

So the general idea is anywhere from 150 lbs. down to about 30 or 40 lbs. for the best meat from wild boars. Thanks everyone for their input on these questions.

 

[myfriendis410]

Yesterday I put together a big pot of Lima beans (picked locally) and ham, ham bone and ham hocks from a hog I got back in January, and cured/smoked per ltdann's instructions. Cooked 'em down, pulled the meat off the bones, cut it up and returned it to the pot with onion, celery, black pepper, garlic, and fresh-picked rosemary. The pot is back on the stove today and it's going to be dinner tonight, with hot french bread and maybe a roasted garlic.

Life is good.......

Oh yeah: homemade chocolate cake for dessert!

 

[ltdann]

yeah, that is a good recipe, ain't it? Lordy, I need to shoot another hog, my mouths just watering thinking about it. I used my last smoked ham hock tuesday night in a pot of red beans-n-rice.

 

[Caninelaw]

I have not had any experience with a really big pig (don't know whether on not that's a good thing) but the ones I have harvested, or family member have harvested, have been about 140 live weight down to about 80 and they have all been excellent eating. Now, if I did have a chance at a big boar, yes, I'd take it in a heartbeat. After the first really big one though, if some of these stories are true, I might have to think twice.

 

[ROBruin]

My 2010 Tejon boar weighed 135 gutted and tasted better than a 90lb sow taken two years earlier. Backstrap and tenderloins were incredible. I was very surprised about this Tejon "athlete" boar.

 

[which way out]

You're killing me Small's
I need to go eat lunch