Brining Feral Pig

[mikemci]

I'm giving a small feral pig to a co-worker. He doesn't know anything about smoking meat, so he is going to visit his dad on Thanksgiving and let him smoke it. I have some Oakridge Game Changer and want him to try it. My question is, can I brine it then vac seal and freeze, or would something change by freezing after brining? Should I give him the mix and let him brine it a few hours before cooking? Anybody have any experience with this? Thanks, Mike

[lankster35]

How big is the pig pound wise and is it a boar or sow? I don;t think it is necessary to brine one - never did to mine - and as long as under 80lbs or so and dressed properly should be good to throw in the pit.

[mikemci]

How big is the pig pound wise and is it a boar or sow? I don;t think it is necessary to brine one - never did to mine - and as long as under 80lbs or so and dressed properly should be good to throw in the pit.

A gilt, I'm guessing 70-80# live weight. She's about as good as it gets! I really like the flavor the Game Changer brine adds, and it never hurts to get as much moisture into the meat that you can.

[mikemci]

I'll re-phrase my question: Can you brine meat/freeze/cook later?

[IamMadMan]

Mike,

My suggestions would to inject the Game Changer brine before he travels if possible.

I used to brine my Picnics and Pork Butts. I found I have the same results by injecting, and it is a lot easier than brining.

I agree, you can't beat the flavor imparted with OakRidge Game Changer Brine.

For the Injection I use 1 Tablespoon of Game Changer to every cup of apple juice.

I'll re-phrase my question: Can you brine meat/freeze/cook later?

Yes you can, but the salt content in the meat cells will require a lower temperature before the meat fully freezes.

[mikemci]

Robert, I really like the injection idea. Are you saying that it's not good to freeze after brining?

[IamMadMan]

Robert, I really like the injection idea. Are you saying that it's not good to freeze after brining?


You can freeze, but in order for the meat to fully freeze with a 3% salt/water ratio the temperature has to be close to 0 before it completely freezes, rather than the 30-32 degree range. There is no harm in even keeping it at or below 30. It's just that if not properly wrapped it can taken on "off" flavors much easier if it isn't fully frozen. Short term storage with a nice wrapping is not a problem at all.

A good example of this is when you shop for turkeys at Thanksgiving; you'll see frozen solid turkeys listed as "Fresh", this is because they use a salt solution in the process, so according to the USDA, as long as the "blood" doesn't fully freeze, they can call it fresh and charge more money. Many retailers will keep these in a refrigerated case once they arrive and most shoppers will assume that they have never been frozen.

Sorry to babble on...

.

[mikemci]

Very good explanation! I have a deep freeze that stays at 0*. I have just never seen this topic covered here before. Thanks
PS Babble on, I'm all ears!

[IamMadMan]

I'm very pleased with the results of the Game Changer Injection. There is less mess and most times nothing to clean. It is so efficient that I haven't used my brining containers in almost a year.