Javelina Processing

[ctafoya]

So i got my boys pigs boned out tonight. Ive heard from some old timers to soak the meat in sprite or 7 up as the co2 will loosen up the sinew so it will peel off. After that i plan on making some sausage out of most of it and try my hand at some pulled bbq. Any suggestions for making some sausage? I plan on going to a processor next time but i wanted to show the boys how to somewhat take care of things for themselves.

[azslim]

several recipes posted here, the silver skin comes off easy with a sharp, flexible bladed boning knife, and some will also get caught around the blade in the grinder. Have never soaked my game meat in soda pop, bleach water, vinegar, etc - keep it cool and clean, pick all the hairs and you will get good meat.

[1uglydude]

several recipes posted here, the silver skin comes off easy with a sharp, flexible bladed boning knife, and some will also get caught around the blade in the grinder. Have never soaked my game meat in soda pop, bleach water, vinegar, etc - keep it cool and clean, pick all the hairs and you will get good meat.

 

Slim,

 

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm thinking about getting a grinder for all critters, not just javelina, and I'm wondering exactly how much silver skin you realistically have to remove. I'm told that the better your grinder (motor, metal gears, etc), the better off you are, but I'm not really sure what the standard would be. Does only the thickest part of the silver skin around the major muscles and the tendons need to be removed?

 

What about the flank meat around the rips and sides of deer? I'd love to grind that, but if you removed all the silver skin you wouldn't have much meat left and it would take forever.

 

What about the calf muscle group? Could you just cut the tendons off the ends and then chuck it and grind? Lots of meat in there, but also a ton of thin silver skin.

[GreyGhost85]

high end, high HP grinders will power through about anything, and most of the sinew you miss will get caught in the grinder head. some big, old, tough animals need to be ground a couple of times. for most animals, we usually run it through coarse, then run it through fine. i have never ground up a javelina. I have cooked them and had to throw away pots, pans etc. because the javelina smell would not come out of them. i have been afraid that the smell would stick to the grinder

[1uglydude]

high end, high HP grinders will power through about anything, and most of the sinew you miss will get caught in the grinder head. some big, old, tough animals need to be ground a couple of times. for most animals, we usually run it through coarse, then run it through fine. i have never ground up a javelina. I have cooked them and had to throw away pots, pans etc. because the javelina smell would not come out of them. i have been afraid that the smell would stick to the grinder

 

Do you have a general rule for how much you trim? Is it just what you can get to quickly and easily?

 

What do you need to spend to get into what you consider "high end?" $500?

[azslim]

i slip off the easily accessed silver skin, backstrap, big pieces on qtrs, etc., with a really sharp boning knife you can slip it right off usually in one big piece.

 

A 1/2 hp grinder is sufficient for the majority of home processing, I used a little $100 counter-top model for many years, could do about 15 lbs at a time then let it and the meat cool off. I have a 1.5 hp now but only break it out for large batches, still use my little one for 15 lbs or less meat. The big one is wonderful, just heavy. Couldn't pass it up in the Bargain Cave for $205 many years back.

 

couple of threads on here about sausage making, suggest you dig them up. I mix 1/3 pork to my game, a fatty pork butt, but my sausage is real lean, personal taste on that. Buy your spices in bulk if you can, a lot cheaper, Sprout's, Winco, etc or Penzey's offer them online or a store in Scottsdale.

[ctafoya]

Yeah I noticed that with my deer that the silver skin I didn't get did get stuck in the grinder. I must have got lucky or did a good job cleaning this meat doesn't smell. It actually smells better then my deer I got a few years back.

[thegunsmith2506]

I usually only trim the really big pieces of silver skin, and then double grind everything. I use the grinding attachment for out Kitchenaid mixer. I can do about 10lbs at a time before I have to let it cool down.

[HuntHarder]

If the meat is partially frozen, it is much easier to grind. Right at the point in which the meat is flexible, yet starting to get stiff is perfect for grinding.

[muledeerarea33?]

+1 on partially frozen for game meat, chicken, or pork. I use a hand grinder and get thru 10-15lbs before I'm tired or the meat starts to heat. I grind my own beef burger and just grind it thawed it whatever size it is. If it starts to slow down or stick on the worm a handful of ice will push it thru.

[elkaholic]

as far as soaking meat - I've only soaked one piggy and that was in an icechest filled with terriaki juice and lemons 5 hrs before the barbque pit/grill got a hold of it-

 

anything you can cut off -- like filleting thin slices of the silver tendons /skin will help the grinding process and you'll have a better looking/tasting product.

[PRDATR]

high end, high HP grinders will power through about anything, and most of the sinew you miss will get caught in the grinder head. some big, old, tough animals need to be ground a couple of times. for most animals, we usually run it through coarse, then run it through fine. i have never ground up a javelina. I have cooked them and had to throw away pots, pans etc. because the javelina smell would not come out of them. i have been afraid that the smell would stick to the grinder

I bone them out in the field and ice them down when I get back to camp. At home I pick through the meat to get any dirt or hair out then rinse it off and brine it overnight in a bucket of ice water.

This gets out 90% of the smell. Then I drain the meat and put it in a couple of big bowl covered with plastic wrap with a corner left open to breathe.

I leave it in the fridge for up to 10 days and it starts to break down and get tender. Then I'll cook some and freeze the rest.

[My Rights As An American]

So i got my boys pigs boned out tonight. Ive heard from some old timers to soak the meat in sprite or 7 up as the co2 will loosen up the sinew so it will peel off. After that i plan on making some sausage out of most of it and try my hand at some pulled bbq. Any suggestions for making some sausage? I plan on going to a processor next time but i wanted to show the boys how to somewhat take care of things for themselves.

 

Happy to give you a hand with it and bring over my smoker and show you how to do it all at once if you want. PM me if interested. Not an expert but have done my own for many years now successfully. You will never go back to a processor again after you do it once yourself and taste the results!

[ctafoya]

Thanks for the offer. Its all in vac sealed bags in the freezer right now. Maybe when this chaotic hunting season is over.