Q&A for How to Gut a Pig

Not unless you want tainted meat. It's better to bleed it out, field dress it, and clean it after making a kill. It's not always the most convenient thing, depending on the location you're at, but it is the best practice.

Do you mean the whole intestinal area? Or just the stomach organ? If just the organ, then take one end and make a long slit. Turn the stomach inside out and wash it with clean, cold water.

You should only need a license if you're hunting the hog on someone else's property besides your own. You should double check your state's hunting laws to be sure.

On average, about 57% of a hog makes it from the pen to the pan. A 250 lb. hog will yield approximately 144 lb. of retail cuts. Around 28% of a hog's live weight is inedible product that's removed during the slaughter and dressing procedure.

Diagonal cuts are good for starts with 'restaurant style' meat strips, but the tenderness of the meat often comes from how you prep it before, during, and after you cook it. An easy way to tenderize it is to use the classic meat hammer for a less refined method, or a slightly acidic marinade (tomato or citrus base, depending on the meat, or perhaps a wine base for beef and venison). Dry aging is more common with beef than other meats, at least by my experience, and lends a unique flavor and tenderness to the cut. Spices, sauces, enzymes, and heat levels also play into the tenderness, as well as the method of cooking (roasting, broasting, grilling, etc.).