I need some advice on meat processing. Shot about a 175 lb sow and haven't figured out exactly what to do with all this meat. She is quartered to shoulders, hams, backstraps, and tenderloins and heavily packed on ice for the past 24 hrs. Just wanted to get everyone's opinion on where to get it processed, what to get processed, cost involved, are there any parts that I shouldn't have processed, etc. Thanks in advance.

The last pig I got processed got put into hams, shoulders and chops. the rest got made into ground meat. Save the ground meat for my deer to have it mixed w/ the sausage.

I always quarter my own hogs, keep the backstrap,tenderloins and maybe a ham. The rest I have made into smoked sausage. The shoulders and flank meat are good for sausage. I'll smoke the backstraps and a ham on the smoker and its the best. One time I did have the hams cut into ham steaks,they turned out pretty good. I took my meat to Terrell place called Gormans, used to be in Mesquite. It's also cheaper if you debone all the meat before you take it. I believe it saved me 50cents a pound.

Thanks guys! I didn't know that about deboning. Think I've decided to smoke the hams and backstrap and freeze the rest until I get a deer later this year for mixing. Anybody else know a good processing plant around fort worth/arlington?

try Flicks in Mansfield or Syracuse in Keller. What ever you do stay away from AYW. They will over charge you

IF YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES FREEZE THE HAMS AND WITH A MEAT SAW SAW IT INTO ANOUT 3/4 IN STEAKS. GRILL IT AND YOU WILL THROW ROCKS AT PORK CHOPS. SMOKE THE FRONT SHOULDER. THE TOP OF THE FRONT SHOULDER IS CALLED PORK BUTT AND THAT IS WHERE PULLED PORK COMES FROM. SAUSAGE IS A GREAT OPTION ALSO, EITHER PAN OR LINK MIX WITH SOME DEER MEAT ITS AWSOME

Stay away from Talent Sausage in Trinity county. I took a doe there that dressed out at 100lbs, and they charged me almost $300. I've also heard from a guy that used to work there, that they mix everyone's meat together, and you don't get your own meat.

What part does bacon come from? Is it even possible with feral hogs? Worth it? I eat bacon every day, and sometimes with all 5 meals. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM BACON!

There is not enough bacon on a wild hog to bother.

I had some made once, it was fair, but would not mess with it again. Pretty fat bacon, but tried it and that is it, not again.

You could just do like I do. I process my own wild game, and never have to worry about it getting done right or confused with someone else's meat. It only takes time and patience, and some zip locks and butcher paper. I even grind my own sausage and season it, for breakfast sausage. Nothing hard about it.

Have you ever messed with smoking the sausage? I have made some breakfast sausage and it turned out pretty good, not enough sage in it though.....