# I got a tough old hog.



## johnnyo (May 17, 2012)

We ordered half a hog. When we got her, our half was 189 lbs.. We ordered it cut & wrapped. Well she is a tough old sow. bacon is big a tough, as well as pork chops & roasts. One pork chop is enough for my wife & I. 
She has tried the roaster & oven, still tough, She has used the slow cooker method, much better, but still chewy.. Any help & suggestions in making this old hog more tender,(if possible), will be appreciated.
Maybe it's true that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear..:hair


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

Think ya got the saying wrong, It "Insert name here" can sew a silk purse from a sows ear...

That said its the implication that with skill you can do the impossible...

Tough Meat benefits from a pressure cooker, as well as proper cut, that is cut against the grain.

Always allow your meat to rest after cooking.

I can tell you its the only way I would cook turtle... By the time they are legal they must be pushing 50-60 ... If that ain't tuff don't know what would be.

Not sure on how you cook your bacon, at the least it should be crispy?

I cook mine low and slow for a bit more pliable but still little crunch but completely cooked product. too hot too fast you got bacon bits and not long enough pork rubber...

Edited to add that you should brine your pork in Vinegar prior to you pressure cooker par cook and add it in for your liquid.
Cuts some of the fat and acts like a tenderizer as well. I also think it complements the meat. I also add in my preferred seasoning for the pressure cook.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Cann it.
look up making a purse out of a sows ear, someone actualy did it.


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## Wyobuckaroo (Dec 30, 2011)

Pressure cooker....


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## johnnyo (May 17, 2012)

||Downhome|| said:


> Think ya got the saying wrong, It "Insert name here" can sew a silk purse from a sows ear...
> 
> That said its the implication that with skill you can do the impossible...
> 
> ...


They have all been cut properly at the shop. We like our bacon pan fried, but when my wife fries it the fat part is not bad, but the meat is dark & tuff no matter how long she cooks it. We didn't have our bacon cured, but rather frying it as side pork.. would smoking the bacon & any other cuts help??? I do have a smoker.. 
This old hog has pretty much killed my taste for pork.. The guy never told me that this was going to be Great Grandma..


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## johnnyo (May 17, 2012)

7thswan said:


> Cann it.
> look up making a purse out of a sows ear, someone actualy did it.


Thought of that, we live in a mobile home, with no basement & very limited storage inside. storage would be either very warm or very cold. Just looked out & it's starting to snow here... OUCH..:hair


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## Classof66 (Jul 9, 2011)

Try grinding for pork burgers.


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## Lilith (Dec 29, 2012)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons hot paprika
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 3 -to-4-pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste

Cut pork shoulder to 1 inch wide steaks taking care to cut cross grain. 
Combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar, the paprika, mustard powder, cumin, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet; add the pork and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, 5 minutes. Remove the pork and transfer to a plate; whisk 3/4 cup water into the drippings in the skillet. Transfer the liquid to a 5-to-6-quart pressure cooker.

Add the vinegar, tomato paste, the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 cups water to the pressure cooker and whisk to combine. Add the pork, cook for 20 minutes at 15lbs.

Remove the pork and transfer to a cutting board. Strain the liquid into a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.Tear the pork apart and mix in a bowl with 1 cup of the reduced cooking liquid, and salt and vinegar to taste. 

You can add BBQ sauce if desired, but I prefer it without.


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## johnnyo (May 17, 2012)

Great suggestions, will try all. Never thought of grinding them, & I do have a grinder..
And thanks for that Recipe Lilith, must try it.


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## doingitmyself (Jul 30, 2013)

All great ideas, I would marinate overnight in 7-up soda, then pressure cook that sucker to shear perfection. Or like others said season, grind, smoke and serve! LOL


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

This thread is in the wrong forum. Recipes _only_ here.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

This thread is in the wrong place.

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...e-recipe-book/527184-i-got-tough-old-hog.html


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## johnnyo (May 17, 2012)

So where would you put it ?. I figured a method of cooking it would be a recipe.
Admin could you please move it under appropriate heading?
thanks.


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## woodsman14 (Oct 6, 2014)

I saw your post that it was cut proper, by a butcher. Was it the butcher or a hired hand though? I have to agree with others on here, an old sow cooks just as well as a young barrow. Another thing to consider is was she allowed to hang at least a few days or was she rushed through to be processed? Rushing isn't proper either if you want quality cuts that are tender.

All that said, cooking large cuts can be a problem for anyone if they don't have cookware large enough to handle it. That's one reason why Grandma always kept those giant cast iron skillets, and families were generally larger then too. Lol! Best to can or pressure cook some of it or cut it down to standard pan sizes maybe if that would help? I love canned pork! :happy: Whatever you do, Enjoy!


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

Grind it or brown and braise slowly. DIL has been using her ground pork for everything that calls for hamburger since the price of beef has gotten to crazy. Makes great burgers and meatloaf, spaghetti, etc.


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## billinwv (Sep 27, 2013)

Look up "city cure" for your hams and bacon. Basically sea salt and brown sugar brine you do in the fridge for about a week. It tenderizes and the flavor is great. I'd make room and can the rest. My grandmother would can a whole old sow and it was the best.


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## Jack Burton (Aug 11, 2013)

Here is a Filipino recipe for a tough old pork that will make it as tender as anything you've had before. The other benefit is that it is absolutely delicious. The total time to cook is between 90 to 120 minutes depending upon how tender you want it to be. 

Doesn't require anything other than a large dutch kettle type pan, and a sharp knife for cutting the pork into 1 inch cubes or so. 

No exotic ingredients either (unless soy sauce is exotic around your home.)


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## r6d7ranch (Jul 6, 2015)

Ground pork is great you can season it to make Italian sausage or breakfast sausage it doesn't have to be in casing. have been using pork for meat balls and in chili since beef has gotten so high, and marinate roast over night and cook low and slow.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

To simmer meat tender, set the heat so that just an occasional bubble comes up: perhaps 30 bubbles per minute? This relaxes the strands of protein while a higher heat will make them stiff. AFTER the protein strands are relaxed you can increase the heat to cook it more quickly and the meat will not be tough.

I am currently working my way through the hind leg of a wild hog that we were given. It takes me perhaps 3 hours to get the meat tender AND that is for sliced meat! Then I pull it apart and mix it with BBQ sauce for sandwiches.

Another way to tenderize meat is to bake it in water at 250 degrees for 10 hours or until it is tender. I think the next time I do the sandwiches I will do this, and then finish it with a boil on top of the stove because it is wild hog and I want to kill any trichinosis that might be present. Trichinosis is why people used to be told to cook pork well done, Domestic hogs no longer, have it, as raising sick animals is not economical, not to mention being less safe to the pig raiser.


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## treefrog (Mar 18, 2006)

the sovereign cure for tough meat is to grind it into sausage.
here is an archive of sausage recipes:
http://lpoli.50webs.com/Sausage recipes.htm
i like the italian types.


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## Thumper38 (Mar 4, 2017)

billinwv said:


> Look up "city cure" for your hams and bacon. Basically sea salt and brown sugar brine you do in the fridge for about a week. It tenderizes and the flavor is great. I'd make room and can the rest. My grandmother would can a whole old sow and it was the best.


Add in a couple tablespoons of blackstrap molasses and smoke it. 

Ya can also inject with bacon grease or butter while smoking to tenderise it a bit more.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I would hope that after 3 years all that tough pork would be gone.

 Al


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## Thumper38 (Mar 4, 2017)

Odd. It came up as a new post. Maybe a glitch from the new software.


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