Pork that tastes of sewage

[wilagro]

Pork producers spend a fortune promoting quality Canadian raised pork. Why is it that every third pork roast that I buy tastes and smells like pig sewage? Is it the result of "factory farm" production? If so, how can this be mitigated?

The farm-killed pork that my dad provided for us as kids never stunk to high heaven and was delicious.

[wilagro]

Pork producers spend a fortune promoting quality Canadian raised pork. Why is it that every third pork roast that I buy tastes and smells like pig sewage? Is it the result of "factory farm" production? If so, how can this be mitigated?

The farm-killed pork that my dad provided for us as kids never stunk to high heaven and was delicious.

[wilagro]

I guess everyone must be happy with the product that they are getting from the stores...that or nobody on here eats pork.

[Ron]

I eat a lot of beef, bacon a couple times a week but pork roasts taste like shit and my wife cant stand the smell so refuses to even cook them. Seems to me Grassfarmer mentioned pasture raised pork? I might have to track down a sample. (lots of friends say the same, pork was a different product 20 years ago)

[Hopperbin]

Ditto, my freezer is empty of pork, except ribs. And the Canadians in Arizona complain they cannot get Canadian Bacon anymore. I love beef, you can cook it medium rare and eat like Kings and Queens. I suggest mentioning it to your supplier or butcher if the meat smells bad.

[skip]

Hi Guys:

If you have ever travelled in the Southern US and been to a popular Barbecue restaurant you would not say pork tastes or smells bad.

BBQ pulled pork is one of my favorites.

[Jay-mo]

I will echo Hopperbin, if you're buying pork that smells/tastes like sewage take it back and complain.
Just had a pork loin roast the other night, it was excellent.

[tman]

I only noticed this post now, hence the month late response. I've found similar crappy, inconsistent quality in beef from the store. This is from my experience while down in the States the last 3 months but also 10 years ago when I moved to SK after school. Sometimes the meat would be great, but the worse time I ended up throwing out the "premium cut" of meat. Since I've been back home, I cherish and savour every mouthful of our beef. I honestly believe there's a difference between the industry meat where the animals live at least part of their lives standing and covered in their own feces and animals like my family's where they spend spring, summer and fall on grass. The North American animal industry is severly flawed in so many ways. But let's not change because it is so very profitable. The last sentence is to be read with the upmost sarcasm.

[dluther]

I THINK CHANGE IS IN THE AIR AS FAR AS PROFIT GOES, I HOPE! PERHAPS WE CAN HELP YOU GET GOOD MEAT. www.riskanhopefarm.com we just added pork to our list.

[wilagro]

dluther...way to go. Would suggest more detail be added to the site.

Doesn't cost any more and the added detailed information of the products and the size of packaging, availability and hours/days of operation would be most helpful.

[tman]

dluther, I've passed by your place many times over the last 10 years while my time in SK/AB and when I visit my friends just like I did last month. I agree, you need more information on your website. Everything from production to cutting to marketing. Are you grass fed/finish operation with your bison and pork? I don't remember seeing a sign along the highway advertising your meat. Do you have one and I just missed it? You're in a prime location.

I've had thoughts of grazing a couple of my brother's pigs at my place to get away from the grain meat.

[dluther]

Thanks for visiting our site and the tips. We are just expanding so we need input ,as far as size of packs they can be 1 pound of burger to a whole animal just phone ,e-mail and let us know ,we run farmer hours 24/7. At this time our products are grain fed, no hormones or drugs but I can let you know of people that have pasture raised pork. THANKS AGAIN and pass it on to your friends

[grgsrvc]

Guys the quality of your meat has more to do with the butcher then how it was
raised!!! It is the easiest thing in the world for the butcher to blame the
farmer/rancher for poor quality meat when in fact there is very little the
rancher/farmer does that affects the meat. Don't fall for the downloading the
liability on the farmer game the packers like to play.

eg. Maple leaf and their listeriossis sp. problem was not caused by dirty
machines, but by a "profit guru" who recomended to extend the shelf life of the
meats. If you remember your high school math and exponations you will recall the
graph that goes off the top in the last day or two and how flat the line stays for
a long time until then.

Sorry for the rant. But quit blaming the "factory raised meats" as the reason meat
tastes like it does. Last time I sold animals they were called hogs or cattle. It
is after that when they are slaughtered and processed do they become pork or beef.

[Jay-mo]

I totally agree. I was getting a hog processed at a particular butcher and was not very impressed with the taste. Switched to a different butcher, still getting the hog from the same farmer and the taste was 100% better.
The butchering process makes the biggest difference.

[wilagro]

I disagree. When pork tastes like the sewage pits BELOW where these pigs are raised, then I reckon there must be a connection.

My brother raised hogs for years and he says the same thing. He raised his hogs the old-fashioned way with lots of straw for bedding and outside range in the summer. He sold many locally and never had a complaint and indeed had much praise for his quality product.

I have been a producer, meat cutter and retailer. When I get crappy product there are few if any steps to rectify the situation by cutting it differently.