How to Thaw pig.......first time ham

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bluebombersfan

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Mar 4, 2011
1,729
75
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
My brother asked me to split a full pig with him as he was getting a really good price.  After he picked it up (it was slaughtered that morning)  it froze solid in the box of his truck overnight. It is now frozen in my garage so my question is what is the safest way to thaw this so I can process it?  I have processed several deer over the years but this will be my first pig.  Generally for deer when they freeze solid I will hang them over night in the basement then process them in the morning. 
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Brian
 
The slower the thaw the better. Seeing that you live in Canada, I'm wondering if hanging it in an unheated garage might do the trick. Just not above 40 deg F.
The temps here have been -30C (-22F) for the last month.  That's why it froze so quick.  Today it has come up to -1C (30F) but it won't last long enough to thaw it.  Back to -17C (1.4F) tomorrow.  Maybe saw into 1/4's and slowly thaw in my spare fridge?

Brian
 
You may have a challenge on your hands. As Martin pointed out it should be thawed in refrigeration for food safety. As you pointed out space is not easy to find for a whole or half pig to thaw. You can hang in a space that will maintain a constant temp of 33-40 degrees. You do not want to get the ambient temperature over 40 degrees. If it does you run the risk of food born nasties to grow.......

Good luck and let us know how you come out.....

If I can help let me know.
 
Would you be able to 1/4 or 1/2 it with a Sawzall? Might make it more manageable doing a 1/4 at a time. Milwaukee sells a 16' blade I think.
 
Would you be able to 1/4 or 1/2 it with a Sawzall? Might make it more manageable doing a 1/4 at a time. Milwaukee sells a 16' blade I think.
That brings back memories!! One year I brought home 4 Albacore tuna (I commercial fished) they were blast frozen. Well we needed them for a bbq that night. I took the sawzall to them. Let me tell you that saw smelled like tuna for years!!! Had a heard of bees too, they love tuna!

If you ask nicely maybe a local butcher will let you hang it in their locker to thaw. Never hurts to ask!
 
Thanks for all the replies!  The pig was already cut into 1/4's and I managed to fit it into my beer fridge without all the racks.  Hopefully by the weekend I can cut it up or I will be drinking warm beer
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Brian
 
What a big Job!  I ended up thawing this in my fridge for about 4 days and then got to work on it last weekend.  I watched a bunch of youtube videos and then jumped around between a few of those while I worked.  A few times I had a tough time finding the joints to make the right cuts but I managed my way through my first time!  I decided to try and cure my first ham and here is what I started with!


I injected this and it is now sitting in the fridge in a 5 gallon pail of pops brine!  I hope I injected enough little worried about it not being evenly cured for my first one! 
 
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