[darling]

My first pigs were put in the freezer with no problems, the meat was good and cooked well.
Our seconds pigs were put in the freezer last month and the meat is tough and stringy.
This meat was from GOS pigs.
Has anyone had this problem with the meat, any reason why this would happen?

[Carol Knights]

If the pigs are stressed at slaughter time it can alter the texture and flavour. Could this be the problem?

[Hilarysmum]

Its more likely as Carol says but how long did you have the meat hung for?  Not much of a cook myself however try long slow cookingto improve the texture (over here where decent pork is at a premium the norm is to pressure cook it but then you dont know if you are eating chicken, turkey, rabbit or pork.)

[chickenfeed]

  my first thought was stress during slaughter.

[JulieS]

I agree, stress can really make a difference to the meat.

[Hilarysmum]

Perhaps check out hte recommended abattoir section .... 

[chickenfeed]

 :pig:another thought if a lamb is chilled too quickly ie not left to cool down unaided it has been proven that can toughen the meat not 100% sure if this method would work with pigs too.

[Eve]

Our GOS pigs were stressed like hell but so far the meat hasn't been tough and the comments about flavour were really positive. But then there were 5 pigs and we only kept 2 to ourselves...
So I don't know, really, perhaps stress affects the meat of some pigs and not others?

Can you tell if all the meat is tough or could it be only from one pig?


Eve

[Olly398]

Are you comparing the same cuts of meat, cooked in the same way?
One can make a cheap lump of belly as soft and tender than the loftiest tenderloin. Equally, its an easy mistake to make pork dry and tough.
PS - not suggesting you can't cook 

[buddy]

I would tell the abattoir and keep a record of it, this meat is not what your paying customers would want(presuming you do sell some). was it your meat back or did it get swapped for some older pig?

[Eve]

Good thinking, Buddy, I've heard before that not getting your own pig back happens in some places.
Darling (and by Darling I mean the person who originally asked the question ), did you pick them up as half pigs or were they butchered by the abattoir?


Eve 

[Hilarysmum]

Some time ago (in France) went to help some friends.  They had sent off 2 massive Gloucestershire Old Spots they were surprised that one came back without its head.  On further examination we noted that the headless pig had a docked whereas the other had a good long one.  Obviously one pig was not a GOS but an intensively raised lw pig.  Complained to abattoir who denied it was possible.    Always check out the ear tags and/or slap mark.   

[suziequeue]

I am planning to slap mark both my pigs on each buttock as we have asked for headless half carcasses back from the abattoir.

Susanna

[oaklandspigs]

I am planning to slap mark both my pigs on each buttock as we have asked for headless half carcasses back from the abattoir.

Susanna

You need to slapmark them on both shoulders as their ID (under Primo regs 2007 part 3 section 6(2)):

(2) A tattoo must be applied either by tattoo forceps, in which case it must be on an ear, or by slap-marking equipment, in which case it must be on each shoulder.

If you are getting back as half carcasses that will be sufficient. 

We know someone who also slapmarks the legs as their abattoir also cuts for them, therefore getting back at least 4 joints with herd no. on.

With the current MHS and FCI ('spose to be part of the farm to fork tracibility) it's amazing that mistakes still happen, but this is generraly cockup over conspiracy and very rare.

[chickenfeed]

 :wave:we have always slapped both shoulders and both rear ends of all our pigs, a friend or ours sent off some saddlebacks and when the meat came back it had ginger hairs here and there