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Aging Hog Meat

Posted By: 7ARanch

Aging Hog Meat - 12/19/13 04:07 AM

So we pulled the hide off a large sow today after it had been in the cooler for 10+ days. It was incredibly easy. I was very surprised since hogs are usually tough to take the hide off if. What was different? Several things; one was we aged the hog in or cooler at about 37 degrees for 11 days (I do deer two weeks but can't do it due to other commitments). I've never aged it myself before, having always had hog made into sausage by someone else. The near was so tender it was ripping.
The other thing is I bought one of the Outdoor Edge flipping blaze knives. Using it to cut the hog hide was so easy it was bizarre. It makes using a gut hook like using a rock (I've done several deer with the same ease but hogs are in a special class). Because I could cut the hide without cutting into the meat so easily I was able to quickly cut the hide into strips and pull them off with my hands.. It could not have been simpler.
The meat is so tender I'm going to grill the loins.

If you know of a problem with ageing pork please let me know before the weekend, otherwise I highly recommend it.
Posted By: HornSlayer

Re: Aging Hog Meat - 12/19/13 01:03 PM

There's no benefit to aging pork, in fact it only reduces shelf life. Freeze the pork as soon as you cut the portions. It's not necessarily bad, just not necessary because pork doesn't have the tough connective tissue found in beef.
Posted By: 7ARanch

Re: Aging Hog Meat - 12/19/13 01:24 PM

Thanks, didn't know that. I've just never had one come apart this easily.
Posted By: kdub

Re: Aging Hog Meat - 12/19/13 01:49 PM

I know a lot of people keep hogs on ice for a few days to bleed out the meat.
Posted By: 1860.colt

Re: Aging Hog Meat - 12/19/13 04:33 PM

have always skinned hog before putting in cooler ta sit, have had 300+# hogs be tender, ,cut meat against grain flag
Posted By: scooter79

Re: Aging Hog Meat - 12/19/13 04:42 PM

Aging is nothing more than allowig the meat to decompose at a controlled rate. the reason the hide came off so easy is because the connecting tissue had started to "rot".
Posted By: 7ARanch

Re: Aging Hog Meat - 12/21/13 05:42 PM

Could be any and all of the above are contributing factors but all I know is it was the easiest hog I've ever dealt with (didn't have stillthe meat cooler before this year).
The flip n blaze hide cutter is still the coolest knife improvement I've ever seen.
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