Thread: Wild pork

Hello - Thinking about growing up in the Pelorus Valley (Marlborough) with the Three Oh thread reminded me how much we liked wild pork - it was literally the "prince of meats" up there, we ate a lot of it, and so did everyone else we knew or that Dad gave it too.

On moving among the Nth Cantabs at secondary school I found their enthusiasm a bit more muted, and when we shifted to Southland, hardly anybody valued wild pork. I've tried (Southland) wild pork several times since and consider it pretty mediocre.

I know pork is very inclined to take on a flavour from whats in its diet, but what varies so much in a wild pigs diet that causes these regional differences in it (and that's if I'm not imagining the differences, but they seem real enough to me)?

What is Nth Island wild pork like - any variations up there ??

Good. I've only eaten pigs from one spot, but nothing bad to say about it at all. Very slightly gamier version of supermarket pork in my uneducated opinion.

Tentman, you're not wrong about regional diffferences in taste.Even in Marlborough I notice different taste between Northbank and South side of Wairau, Molesworth and lower Awatere also different. Always just put it down to what they're eating. Doesn't matter where you get wild pork it generally tastes better than a lot of the supermarket crap.

Absolutely wild pork can taste very different from one area to the next actually even from the same area it still can taste different. Yes it can depend on how it was taken but not always. Last year the difference between to both very large pigs and both were shot not dogged, both were unaware that a bullet was coming. And yet one was very palalable whilst the other not so much.

They are what they eat. Also if there have been domestic releases in to the population it mellows the flavour right out too. Anything off the berries or any description is tops for me. Like it was marianated in it. Or grass fed tammy crosses. Mmmmmmmmm

Hopefully I feel better to day and get out and check on pest issues.

@Gapped axe - wishing you a good day from down South - may the wind be in your face!

I agree that wild pork tastes different from different areas. I shot plenty in Pureora bush fringes during the 80’s and they were great eating. The last one I nailed was from the northern Kaimais, bordering on pine plantations. Upon cooking and sampling, both the smell and taste reminded me of turpentine; inedible and I guess the animal had been living/eating pine-associated food.

I tell people what a fantastic meat Wallaby can be. When you think of what their food selection is compared o what pigs will eat, I'm surprised that pork even gets eaten a times.

The wild pork I ate when I lived in Motueka was the best I've ever tasted.

Originally Posted by Gapped axe

I tell people what a fantastic meat Wallaby can be. When you think of what their food selection is compared o what pigs will eat, I'm surprised that pork even gets eaten a times.

Must try it sometime. I saw a few pretty close in the bush last time I was in your part of the world, but had my mind on another things.

From my experience it pretty good, we even had a 160lb boar done into sausages and salami just before lock down and i gave a bunch of it to a friend who hunts but refuses to eat boars and gives them away.
i didnt tell him it was boar obviously untill he asked who did the sausages because they were bloody good

Without a doubt wold pork can taste quite different from different areas. From someone thats eaten wild pork for over 30 years i have noticed wild pork
does taste much better now than years gone by. Murchison pigs have always been the best, more fat, weight more in size compared to other areas and taste brilliant.
Pigs down the sounds used to taste crap, skinny and not great eating. Now, with many areas having escapees from farms, released pigs from other hunters etc the pigs
are just better all round in most areas.
Shot pigs are better than dogged pigs in taste as well. Sows taste a little better but had many a good boar thats been pretty darn good.
Have met a couple of people from the North island that swear after tasting south island pigs they a heap better.
My GF comes from up North, she wouldnt eat wild pork because she thought it was crap.
When she tried some of the ones ive shot she loves it, generally around here the wild pig is getting tamer and tamer in taste as the years go on.
Prob by so many farm pigs breeding with wild ones as years ago hunters releaseing pigs into the bush was going on everywhere and still happens today, esp on private blocks.

Big variance up this way too, depends on if they are native pigs or pine pigs. Sometimes it's just like and as tender as bought pork other times it is strong and less than tasty. I think it doesn't always matter if it's shot or dogged as I have had dogged pork which was very good. What they eat certainly adds to the flavor, sometimes its strong other times it's not.

I'm an avid wild pork cannibal,,eat it at least twice a week.I shit you not

A real old pic..The pig mobile..