Making sausage and hog fat

The Rodney · Mar 20, 2018

Very blessed to have been given half a hog shot near Columbus. Never had one. Boned the shoulder and combined with scrap meat to make sausage (tonight that is), ham will be smoked Saturday, ribs I gave to a buddy, and that loin is getting grilled. Question.... I trimmed every bit of fat off the meat and wondered if that was the right thing to do. Is wild hog fat okay to blend into your sausage and keep on the ribs? Also, do I need to mix the wild hog meat with pork but for my sausage? Thanks!

bany · Mar 20, 2018

You did right IMHO. I take all the outer fat off. And I would never add any other protein or fat to it. It’s excellent to add to venison if you make bologna or sausage.
Wild pig fat doesn’t break down like store bought so I keep the ribs leaner too.
You don’t have to get crazy taking all the fat (inner) off. Hard to beat whole hog sausage too.

red neck richie · Mar 20, 2018

Wild hog ribs aren't worth cooking imo. Not enough meat or fat on them. If making sausage you may want to buy some extra fat to put in it. Wild hog fat is a lot leaner.

Killer Kyle · Mar 20, 2018

red neck richie said:
Wild hog ribs aren't worth cooking imo. Not enough meat or fat on them. If making sausage you may want to buy some extra fat to put in it. Wild hog fat is a lot leaner.

WRONG.

Hog ribs always cook up 100% perfectly fine for me. I can eat till I'm stuffed and still have half a rack left. I have never, ever had any issues with hog ribs. I love them.

red neck richie · Mar 20, 2018

Killer Kyle said:
WRONG.

Hog ribs always cook up 100% perfectly fine for me. I can eat till I'm stuffed and still have half a rack left. I have never, ever had any issues with hog ribs. I love them.

Send me your recipe.

greg_n_clayton · Mar 21, 2018

red neck richie said:
Send me your recipe.

me too please.

antharper · Mar 21, 2018

I’m no expert, actually just learning also , but I just ground one up a few months ago and I used the fat that was on the hog , even used the belly fat and it’s great, I even mixed a deer shoulder in ,also enjoy the ribs , smoke them just like any other ribs

red neck richie · Mar 21, 2018

antharper said:
I’m no expert, actually just learning also , but I just ground one up a few months ago and I used the fat that was on the hog , even used the belly fat and it’s great, I even mixed a deer shoulder in ,also enjoy the ribs , smoke them just like any other ribs

Really? you found enough meat and fat on them rib bones worth cooking? I'm all ears. Smoking them on the grill is your recipe? What wood did you use? I'm kind of partial to hickory.

jigman29 · Mar 21, 2018

I cook them same as any other pork and they are fine to me.

hunterofopportunity · Mar 22, 2018

red neck richie said:
Really? you found enough meat and fat on them rib bones worth cooking? I'm all ears. Smoking them on the grill is your recipe? What wood did you use? I'm kind of partial to hickory.

Maybe we should ask what size hog are the ribs off of? If you shoot a pig there isn't much meat, but if its a 80 lb plus hog we get plenty. The trick to wild ribs is to trim it, rub it, wait 24hrs and smoke it at 220 for about 4 hrs then I wrap it in tin foil and cook another 2-4 hrs depending on the size. They are fall off the bone tender. If you want to chew them cook in tin foil less time. I never throw away the ribs.

hunterofopportunity · Mar 22, 2018

And not much hickory around to cut where I live so I use oak to get the coals, then dry pecan for the flavor. If you can get the cuttings, peach or apple limbs have great flavor. Sometimes when I cook several pieces of wild game I use a pan of apple juice inside the smoker to add flavor and moisture.

antharper · Mar 22, 2018

red neck richie said:
Really? you found enough meat and fat on them rib bones worth cooking? I'm all ears. Smoking them on the grill is your recipe? What wood did you use? I'm kind of partial to hickory.

I use oak , and also wrap them in foil when done , for another hr or so , I’ve used several different rubs , I actually plan on smoking some this weekend off a nice little fat 60lber , After I get done cleaning a turkey I Hope , I’ll post a picture,I’ve also cut all meat off the ribs and ground it up also for sausage

Nicodemus · Mar 22, 2018

hunterofopportunity said:
And not much hickory around to cut where I live so I use oak to get the coals, then dry pecan for the flavor. If you can get the cuttings, peach or apple limbs have great flavor. Sometimes when I cook several pieces of wild game I use a pan of apple juice inside the smoker to add flavor and moisture.

Both red oak and pecan are really good woods to smoke meat in. I prefer it to hickory. I also use peach wood on chicken and mullet. Pear wood wood too when I can salvage some limbs.

T-N-T · May 21, 2018

Killer Kyle said:
WRONG.

Hog ribs always cook up 100% perfectly fine for me. I can eat till I'm stuffed and still have half a rack left. I have never, ever had any issues with hog ribs. I love them.

red neck richie said:
Send me your recipe.

He shoulda told you he kills big ol pigs too. Not throw on your shoulder and head to the truck ones. ::ke:

NCHillbilly · May 21, 2018

hunterofopportunity said:
And not much hickory around to cut where I live so I use oak to get the coals, then dry pecan for the flavor. If you can get the cuttings, peach or apple limbs have great flavor. Sometimes when I cook several pieces of wild game I use a pan of apple juice inside the smoker to add flavor and moisture.

Actually, pecan is a hickory. It's milder-smoked wood than some of the hickories like mockernut or pignut or shagbark. Pecan is my all-around favorite smoking wood. The peach and apple are great too, as are post oak and cherry.

Keep in mind that wild pork is pretty much the same meat as the free-range domestic hogs that generation after generation of our ancestors lived off of. They rendered that fat down into lard. If they've been eating acorns and such, it won't be as sweet as corn-fed domestic pork fat. I've killed some that were eating from corn feeders that had a lot of good usable fat on them. That famous expensive Spanish pork is fattened on acorns.

bloodiarrow68 · May 21, 2018

Pecan is my favorite also. That's what I smoke all meat with, Including wild hog ribs.

red neck richie · May 21, 2018

The last one I cooked was about a 60 to 70 # boar. The ribs were tough and full of cartilage. Hardly any tender meat. But I cooked it on a propane grill. I will try the smoker next time. Maybe that's the ticket?

frankwright · May 22, 2018

I don't have a smoker but I have tried all different ways to do ribs and this recipe in the oven is the best I have ever eaten!

http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/low-slow-oven-baked-ribs-super-simple-303245

Darkhorse · May 22, 2018

As for the sausage I always trim all the fat off before grinding. The reason is, depending on what the hog was eating the flavor of the fat will vary from good to rank. The ones that have been rooting and feeding down in the mud bottomlands have the worst tasting fat to me.
Pure wild hog sausage is dry and I get tired of it fast. I buy domestic pure hog fat from a butcher and mix it close to 50/50. BTW the same treatment works great for deer sausage, another dry meat if not treated right.
The best way to turn off someone who's just trying either one for the first time, is to give them a dry piece of meat they gotta chew on.

DaveLB · May 22, 2018

I did some ribs from the last medium size 100# hog I shot. Wasn't impressed. Tender enough and tasty, but not enough meat to be worth the trouble IMO.

As far as sausage making goes, I would definitely add some fat. My first couple batches I didn't and it was dry and not too great. I am now adding 25-30% by weight or so. I use pork or beef fat (whatever the butcher has handy). It makes a world of difference. Dry sausage isn't worth the trouble of making it. Keep everything ice cold while you grind so the fat doesn't melt. You want to be able to see the fat in the mix before you stuff it.

Making sausage and hog fat

Senior Member

Attachments

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

“Well Rounded Outdoorsman MOD “

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

“Well Rounded Outdoorsman MOD “

The Recluse

Senior Member

Administrator

Doodle

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Member

Similar threads

Share this page