Right way to do after harvest ??

[Tech]

A couple days ago I carpooled with a friend to a gun dealer, this dealer happened to have a large boar head on the wall.
We started talking about pig. Then he said: after harvest,you need to hang the carcass in a commercial freezer for a few days otherwise it tastes like shit. I am sure the taste like shit here is beyond true. But this guy has a strong opinion about sending the carcass to commercial freezer.
Is it true ?

 

[bisonic]

Hanging a carcass is typical, usually from at least a few days to a week or so (even more for aged beef). It helps the flavor as it gives time for some of the enzymes to break down and water to evaporate out a bit. An exaggeration to say that you can't do it, nor will it turn a stinky boar into a delicious chop, but it's standard practice.

 

[BelchFire]

bisonic has it. It's not mandatory, but it's certainly a good idea. All meat will benefit from aging. You specified a commercial freezer, but a good cold locker is preferred for aging meat.

 

[flytrue]

I aged my bear and venison in a cool cellar, about upper forties in temp. It came out fine. Left it in there till I could get around to processing it, about 5 days.

 

[Farallon]

I don’t know about a commercial freezer, but I have taken game to commercial meat lockers, for aging. The man who taught me how to hunt had a storage shed he used for hanging game. Are you sure he said freezer, not locker.

Los Gatos Meats is in the Bay Area.

 

[JustGuy]

Done that, never noticed any difference,
I let it hang in the garage in cotton bags overnight just to dry it a little, then 24 hours in the refrigerator and then start processing it.
For me it tastes the same as one which was aged 7 days, especially it is true about pigs.
venison might have slight difference which can also be attributed to the specific animal.

BTW, I had a couple of very bad experiences with Los Gatos meats, highly not recommended..

 

[Tech]

I remembered he said locker.

I never eaten any aging meat so I don't know what I am missing here. All the pigs I have eating are butchered in the morning, and eaten by noon. The same as cow. These are domestic animals though.

 

[JustGuy]

I have some aged cow(8 month old when was butchered and aged for 10 days). Do you want to try it?
I'm 100% positive you will never be able to tell the difference.

 

[Bankrunner]

I remembered he said locker.

I never eaten any aging meat so I don't know what I am missing here. All the pigs I have eating are butchered in the morning, and eaten by noon. The same as cow. These are domestic animals though.

Hanging/dry aging will concentrate the flavor as the water within the meat evaporates but it effects tenderness more than the taste.
It effects tenderness in two ways.
One is rigamortis which stiffens/contracts the muscles soon after death. If the muscles are still on the bone when rigamortis loosens it's grip all the connective tissues that are holding on to the bones will pull the muscles back into being relaxed and loose. Leave your animal on the bone for 24hrs or until rigamortis is gone.
The second is the enzymes that start breaking down meat as the meat ages it make for tender eats.
Field dress and cool the animal down a quickly as possible to avoid bacterial growth (bacteria and enzymes are different critters).
It always makes me wonder when i see a picture of an animal that's already in the truck or in someones back yard and the animal has not been field dressed yet.

 

[Farallon]

Re Los Gatos Meats. I have had good experiences, but I know people who have had bad experiences.

I mentioned them, because they used to (still do?) hang game.

I think, if one is trying to get “steakhouse cuts” from game, hanging then cutting is the way to go. However, for many game meats, that turn into; stews, chilis, and sausages, hanging may have no impact.

Tech, butchered in the morning, eaten by noon, domestic? WTF!

 

[Tech]

Tech, butchered in the morning, eaten by noon, domestic? WTF!

I was raised in a developing country. No fancy refrigerator or cooler
Whenever there is a ceremony, celebration, wedding or any sort of cultural events. The host serves pig or buffalo.

For example wedding celebration is usually the best in term of food. They serve pig, beef and chicken.
They buy the pigs a few days ahead from the farmers. The day before the wedding, the host kills them in the evening, and start cooking them to serve guests breakfast and dinner. I am talking from 200-500 guests here, imagine how many pigs get slaughters. :hog chewing:

 

[Limited Out]

We raised a bunch of domestic pigs a few years back on my Father-In-Laws property. The guy that did our slaughtering said it was an old tradition to drink with the pigs before the slaughter. I, being the good guy I am, took the tradition a couple of steps further, being those pigs were about to meet their maker. I decided to through them a party. My Father-In -Law had his pride and joy 600lb. boar hog, and this sucker could drink beer, I mean non-stop. He would drink beer, a quart in one swallow. After 6 or 7 quarts in about 20 minutes this boar was pretty tuned up and started leveling the hog pens and destroying everything in his path. My Father-In-Law never figured out what got into his prize boar and I never told him.

 

[TheGDog]

I was raised in a developing country. No fancy refrigerator or cooler
Whenever there is a ceremony, celebration, wedding or any sort of cultural events. The host serves pig or buffalo.

For example wedding celebration is usually the best in term of food. They serve pig, beef and chicken.
They buy the pigs a few days ahead from the farmers. The day before the wedding, the host kills them in the evening, and start cooking them to serve guests breakfast and dinner. I am talking from 200-500 guests here, imagine how many pigs get slaughters. :hog chewing:

Hrmm... the P.I.?

 

[JustGuy]

I was raised in a developing country. No fancy refrigerator or cooler
Whenever there is a ceremony, celebration, wedding or any sort of cultural events. The host serves pig or buffalo.

For example wedding celebration is usually the best in term of food. They serve pig, beef and chicken.
They buy the pigs a few days ahead from the farmers. The day before the wedding, the host kills them in the evening, and start cooking them to serve guests breakfast and dinner. I am talking from 200-500 guests here, imagine how many pigs get slaughters. :hog chewing:

Same here, only the difference it was lam and eldest men butchered it starting approximately 10-11AM and by 5 PM everyone was eating and drinking.

In one country i was visiting many times, villagers when butchering a pig first they stab it with a telly narrow knife or Mossin bayonet in to the heart, put a bucket under and let it bleed in to the bucket and then ether drink it while it is still hot or put it into a skillet and reduce it on a fire then eat it as a jem.

And yes, they start eating it same day, no aging was necessary.

BTW, at my home the best delicacy is the heart and liver while it is fresh and warm we cut it into pieces and prepare on grill or skillet with little solt and paper only.
It is the kill day treat.

But it is OK, some people prefer McDonalds