Wild pig ham

[PluggedNickel]

I've eaten raccoon, opossum and wait for it.........ground hog! By far the worst was ground hog! It was a young one, farmer wanted them taken out. He had livestock and was tired of the holes getting out of hand. Never wanting to waste anything, and always being "Game" for trying new food I thought I'd give it a try. Man, did it stink, greasy, gamey. I'd have to be near starving to make a meal of one I guess. But, then again, I'm not the best cook in the world either.
New hunting camp staple! Ha, my wife and I just watched Blazing Saddles yesterday. I can hear Slim Pickins now!

 

[Einsiedler]

Pluggednickel,

Down here we call ground hog, sausage. We all enjoy it!

Eutycus

My grandmaw used to make javelina tamales. They were good. I liked them much better than when she would make a roast. She was born and raised a little north of you in Atascosa county.

 

[RHensley]

Javelinas ares fair eating, but a coyote? You are kidding right?

No Sir. It showed them after killing the thing roasting it hair and all. I believe the host of the show has a Face Book page. Steve Rinella meat eater. look it up.

 

[Einsiedler]

Plugged nickel,

Here’s a batch of ground hog my eldest son just put in his smokehouse. Probably has some ground deer mixed in with it!

 

[RHensley]

Plugged nickel,

Here’s a batch of ground hog my eldest son just put in his smokehouse. Probably has some ground deer mixed in with it!
looks good. Some friends and I were talking about different meats and we all agreed that if it's prepared right that most anything is eatable. Some of the things I've seen people eat was not too appealing to me but if I had been raised in the country it probably be good. All in what your use to.

 

[Einsiedler]

RHensley,

No whistle pigs this far south. Only the squealin’ variety.

Hence the "ground" hog.

Old son generally keeps a few domestic hogs available for fresh pork during hunting season.

 

[Eutycus]

Sorry, I'm late. Yessir I'm about 2 counties SE of Atascosa. ( Actually a county and a half)As much as I like deer sausage I dont think I could handle it this morning. My cast iron stomach has suddenly gone soft. Maybe too much pumpkin pie last night?

 

[Einsiedler]

E! Hope you get to feeling better!!!!

 

[Eutycus]

I Really should leave that coffee alone, but it kind of draws me in.

 

[Eutycus]

Maybe it was that story about a guy eating coyote last night that turned my stomach? Its still mighty unsettling!

 

[nhmoose]

I have to ask the op. When you say ham do you mean the smoked after brining ham or the raw cut of the meat?

Makes a taste difference.

 

[Einsiedler]

Just the raw, uncured meat.

 

[RHensley]

Just the raw, uncured meat.

I can eat beef and some fish raw but pork and chicken I'm just to afraid to .

 

[Einsiedler]

I cooked it for close to 5 hours.

Sure hope it was done.

The question that I was asked was did I use a raw ham or a cured ham.

I used raw pork. I cooked it. It was thoroughly cooked. It was delicious. I ate the last small portion today.

 

[Eutycus]

That big pot is gone already?

 

[Einsiedler]

Yup!

 

[RHensley]

I cooked it for close to 5 hours.

Sure hope it was done.

The question that I was asked was did I use a raw ham or a cured ham.

I used raw pork. I cooked it. It was thoroughly cooked. It was delicious. I ate the last small portion today.

Glad to hear you had it done. I sometimes don't understand completely.

 

[Einsiedler]

It’s Ok, most of the time I should probably write better than I do!

 

[nhmoose]

Thank you your recipe sounds great!

 

[BillinOregon]

Einseidler, thanks for an inspiring thread. I have made a traditional Transylvanian Goulash -- Székely Gulyás -- using this recipe, taken from the Hungarian chapter of "Cooking of Vienna's Empire," Time-Life Foods of the World series. It is a real crowd pleaser -- I mean be prepared for food rioting, seriously. Serve it over fresh-made spätzle if you really want to wow the crowd. I'll bet it would be enhanced by using fresh feral pork.

To serve 4 to 6:

1 pound sauerkraut, fresh, canned or packaged
2 tablespoons lard
1 cup finely-chopped onions
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
3 cups chicken stock or water
2 pounds boneless shoulder of pork, cut into 1-inch cubes
1.5 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/4 cup tomato puree
Salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons flour

Wash the sauerkraut thoroughly under cold running water, then soak it in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes to reduce its sourness. Melt the lard in a 5-quart casserole and add the onions. Cook them over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until they are lightly colored, then add the garlic and cook a minute or 2 longer. Off the heat, stir in the paprika, continuing to stir until the onions are well coated. Pour in ½ cup of the stock or water and bring it to a boil, then add the pork cubes.

Now spread the sauerkraut over the pork and sprinkle it with the caraway seeds. In a small bowl, combine the tomato puree and the rest of the stock or water, and pour the mixture over the sauerkraut. Bring the liquid to a boil once more, then reduce the heat to its lowest point, cover the casserole tightly and simmer for 1 hour. Check every now and then to make sure the liquid has not cooked away. Add a little stock or water if it has; the sauerkraut should be moist.

When the pork is tender, combine the sour cream and heavy cream in a mixing bowl. Beat the flour into the cream with a wire whisk, then carefully stir this mixture into the casserole. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Taste for seasoning. Serve "Transylvanian goulash" in deep individual plates, accompanied by a bowl of sour cream.