Spoiled Pork?

[One Track]

While processing my Tejon boar, I found two infections. Both were full of puss. (Dang, is that how you spell puss?) Anyway, I cut out the bad stuff, and continued making sausage out of the good stuff. Then, I told a buddy about the infections and he said that the animal would have had the infection throughout the entire body, and that I should disgard all the meat.

We have already eatin' a few meals from this hog, backstrap and chorizo. No side effects, yet.

Any thoughts on that? Any doctors, or butchers out there?

Thanks.

 

[Rancho Loco]

I dunno - you're braver than me.

I'm really not sure of the definative answer, but I'm a big believer in "When in doubt, throw it out.."

 

[Lurediver]

Did the puss pocket look like this?

 

[Orso]

If the infection is of any size you've got to figure it has been there building up for some time. I would think the infection would have gotten into the the blood and then through out the body... Toss it. I don't think I could get my self to eat it. However, I am sure if you really cook the meat thoroughly (sp??) (cooked it WELL), that you would kill any bad bacteria. Good luck.

 

[One Track]

Yah, it looked like that. I only netted about half the meat. I more or less threw out a shoulder, and most of a ham. Hmmm......

 

[Rancho Loco]

Quit showing that picture!!


GAGHAGHGHAAARAAAALLLPPPHHHHH

 

[Speckmisser]

Brent,

If you just found some puss-pockets, then cutting out the bad spots (with a good margin) should be fine. I'm not saying the FDA would approve it at a commercial facility, but in general, there shouldn't be an issue. Unless you found some serious gangrene or septic tissue, there aren't going to be any toxins in the rest of the animal.

Give it the sniff test, and if it passes, chop it up.

 

[SDHNTR]

B-doggy dog, there is a difference here. I've seen an animal with a bad infected wound (yes, maggots) and the meat of the entire hog was fouled. The whole carcass had a yellow color to it and smelled. Some old-timers with us said the hog had "fever". Toss the whole carcass.

Then I've seen numerous hogs with an infected wound where there is a small amount of infected tissue around the wound and the rest is fine. Cut out the funky stuff and you are good to go. This describes your hog. There was a bad spot in that front quarter and in one of the hinds. The rest of the meat looked fine. At least in my opinion. But I'm no expert.

I've got pig coming out of my wazoo. You want some?

 

[Rancho Loco]

Originally posted by SDHNTR@Dec 20 2005, 12:24 PM
I've got pig coming out of my wazoo.

 

[One Track]

Yah, they were definite pockets. And, the rest smelled and looked good. It's still a little bothersome. I'll make sure to cook it well. After gnawing on the backstrap, I decided to throw that into the grinder as well. So, no need to cook anything medium rare. It's just that, lately, my 4 year old has been really tearing up the lawn.

 

[Mike C]

Rancho Loco I think he means the wazoo freezer, at least I hope that's what her means

 

[Orso]

One track,

"It's just that, lately, my 4 year old has been really tearing up the lawn."

If she is having some ill effect from eating the hawg meat you'd better throw it away. Momma might get a little upset...LOL

 

[grtwythunter]

If they're just "pockets" cut them out and you'll be fine. I've found lots of these in pigs I've butchered and the meat was fine. Like Speck said, probably not FDA approved, but neither is bloody red beef and venison and that hasn't killed me yet either.

My

Scott

 

[SDHNTR]

Rancho,
That did sound a little off. What I meant to say is that I have more pork meat than I know what to do with. I'm just willing to help a brutha out with some protein that won't give his wife a razorback and make his kids root up the lawn.

 

[slowpoke]

One of my friends shot one in July that had a good size puss pocket on the shoulder and the butcher said the meat was fine. It was about the same size as a golf ball and he just washed it off really well. None of the meat was discolored or smelled

 

[Hogskin]

I arrowed one with a similar puss pocket a couple weeks ago. The pocket was inside the abdominal cavity and the arrow passed right through it. It made me nervous because it was inside the cavity (next to the organs) and the arrow went through it, possibly spreading it. I wasn't taking any chances, I dumped it. I'm going after another one on Friday.

 

[bayedsolid]

Boars get those all the time from fighting, among other things. They usually don't clean and disinfect their teeth before hooking it up with each other so a nice poke usually gets infected. It's no big deal. Cut it out and you're fine.

 

[Franklin3]

I don't beleive in killing anything I dont intend to eat. Even domestic animals develop infections and worms and all kinda nasty stuff. Just clean the nasty part out and like Speck said give yourself a good margin when cutting away the nasty and then enjoy your harvest. I mean hell the damn animal died and you killed it honor it's life by eating him! Next hog try hangin it in a cooler for a good spell and maybe have the hams cured up and have a good sausage blend made up. We enjoyed some of our wild Hog Adventure hams for thanksgiving and again at my family Xmas party, the wild ham dissapeared and I had 10lbs of honey cured domestic left over cuz it has no flavah! The secret is in the prep work my freind from feild dressing to the table every step counts and the quality is self evident.
Just my smelly opinion.

 

[257 wby]

I would be real careful with any wild hog that has pus pockets or any type of infection. The key word is infection. If it has developed any type of sacs or unusual looking meaty lumps, cape it and kick it off the nearest cliff.

 

[One Track]

Franklin:

Thanks for the great tips my friend.