Back in May, I wrote to ask if salt pork normally has an "off" odor.
Tonight, I opened a new (they just ordered it special for me) package of
pork belly, and I got the same whiff of offness as it started cooking,
so I did some research. No WONDER the kid and I could smell it, but
James couldn't:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boar_taint

Serene
--
http://www.momfoodproject.com

On 9/27/2011 4:38 PM, Serene Vannoy wrote:
> Back in May, I wrote to ask if salt pork normally has an "off" odor.
> Tonight, I opened a new (they just ordered it special for me) package of
> pork belly, and I got the same whiff of offness as it started cooking,
> so I did some research. No WONDER the kid and I could smell it, but
> James couldn't:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boar_taint
>
> Serene

Okinawans consider pork to be a "dirty" meat and will often boil the
meat, drain, and then boil in fresh water when preparing it. At least,
that's what my auntie taught me. I'll smell that funky pig smell in pork
a lot of the time but that's just the nature of the beast, in my awesome
opinion.

On 28/09/2011 2:33 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> Serene Vannoy wrote:
>>
>> Back in May, I wrote to ask if salt pork normally has an "off" odor.
>> Tonight, I opened a new (they just ordered it special for me) package of
>> pork belly, and I got the same whiff of offness as it started cooking,
>> so I did some research. No WONDER the kid and I could smell it, but
>> James couldn't:
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boar_taint
>
> Just goes to show you Wikipedia can be wrong.

No, it is you who are wrong.

You didn't read the linked references. The Wiki article is quoting from
accepted science. If anyone is wrong, and I doubt it, it is the
researchers who although in different countries and researching at
different times all reached the same conclusion. An unlikely event.

Serene Vannoy wrote:
>
> Back in May, I wrote to ask if salt pork normally has an "off" odor.
> Tonight, I opened a new (they just ordered it special for me) package of
> pork belly, and I got the same whiff of offness as it started cooking,
> so I did some research. No WONDER the kid and I could smell it, but
> James couldn't:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boar_taint

Just goes to show you Wikipedia can be wrong.
That article blames skatole for some cases of
boar taint (for example, in female animals).
It's a widespread myth among chemists that
skatole has an odor, probably because commercial
reagent-grade skatole ordered from a chemical
supplier has a strong odor. Ultrapure zone-refined
skatole has no odor.

Whatever is causing the odor can't be skatole.
It may be a related compound(s) or even an
unrelated compound with similar properties which
make it difficult to separate from skatole.

Sock wrote:
>
> On 28/09/2011 2:33 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> > Serene Vannoy wrote:
> >>
> >> Back in May, I wrote to ask if salt pork normally has an "off" odor.
> >> Tonight, I opened a new (they just ordered it special for me) package of
> >> pork belly, and I got the same whiff of offness as it started cooking,
> >> so I did some research. No WONDER the kid and I could smell it, but
> >> James couldn't:
> >>
> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boar_taint
> >
> > Just goes to show you Wikipedia can be wrong.
>
> No, it is you who are wrong.
>
> You didn't read the linked references. The Wiki article is quoting from
> accepted science. If anyone is wrong, and I doubt it, it is the
> researchers who although in different countries and researching at
> different times all reached the same conclusion. An unlikely event.

I know it's widely believed. It's also flatly wrong.
Wikipedia has it wrong when it says skatole is responsible
for some cases of boar taint (such as in female animals).
It is widely believed among chemists that skatole has an
odor, probably because commercial reagent-grade skatole
ordered from a chemical supplier has a strong odor.
Ultrapure zone-refined skatole has no odor.

Boar taint may be a related compound(s) or even an unrelated
compound with similar properties which make it difficult
to separate from skatole. But it isn't skatole.

Wikipedia has gotten lots of stuff wrong before,
and I know this one is wrong too. You don't have
a clue what you're talking about.

On 29/09/2011 7:49 AM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> Sock wrote:
>>
>> On 28/09/2011 2:33 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
>>> Serene Vannoy wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Back in May, I wrote to ask if salt pork normally has an "off" odor.
>>>> Tonight, I opened a new (they just ordered it special for me) package of
>>>> pork belly, and I got the same whiff of offness as it started cooking,
>>>> so I did some research. No WONDER the kid and I could smell it, but
>>>> James couldn't:
>>>>
>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boar_taint
>>>
>>> Just goes to show you Wikipedia can be wrong.
>>
>> No, it is you who are wrong.
>>
>> You didn't read the linked references. The Wiki article is quoting from
>> accepted science. If anyone is wrong, and I doubt it, it is the
>> researchers who although in different countries and researching at
>> different times all reached the same conclusion. An unlikely event.
>
> I know it's widely believed. It's also flatly wrong.
> Wikipedia has it wrong when it says skatole is responsible
> for some cases of boar taint (such as in female animals).
> It is widely believed among chemists that skatole has an
> odor, probably because commercial reagent-grade skatole
> ordered from a chemical supplier has a strong odor.
> Ultrapure zone-refined skatole has no odor.
>
> Boar taint may be a related compound(s) or even an unrelated
> compound with similar properties which make it difficult
> to separate from skatole. But it isn't skatole.
>
> Wikipedia has gotten lots of stuff wrong before,
> and I know this one is wrong too. You don't have
> a clue what you're talking about.

I'm clueless? It is you who can't grasp that Wiki is quoting (with
references) accepted science. You are claiming that all scientists who
were involved in research on this got it wrong, that the "widely
"accepting" chemists all have it wrong, and you are the only one who is
right.

Yeah of course you are right. Not.

Boar taint is in meat from boars...period.

I raised pigs for a living and I hate meat
that has the boar taint. Wiki has some things
right but they say that some breeds of pigs
have little or no taint but they are wrong
as ALL breeds of pigs have boar taint if the
meat is from the boars.

On 09/30/2011 11:38 AM, Sqwertz wrote:

> It seems to me the salt pork you're buying is defective.

All of it? At three different times, two different products, and two
different retailers? (Salt pork at Whole Foods, salt pork at the
Berkeley Bowl, and then pork belly at the Berkeley Bowl)

> The brand(?)

Three different brands.

Serene
--
http://www.momfoodproject.com

You must have lived in a strange world if you
had never heard of "boar" taint before.

Perhaps your sense of taste is not as acute as
that of normal people. Some people are more sensitive
to "boar" taste or smell than others.

If you raised pigs for a living you would know
first-hand what all is involved.

On 10/1/2011 6:58 AM, Roy wrote:
> You must have lived in a strange world if you
> had never heard of "boar" taint before.
>
> Perhaps your sense of taste is not as acute as
> that of normal people. Some people are more sensitive
> to "boar" taste or smell than others.
>
> If you raised pigs for a living you would know
> first-hand what all is involved.

I made some Okinawan shoyu pork with pork belly the other day. I boiled
it for a few minutes, drained it and added fresh water and boiled it for
about an hour. Then I drained that and then boiled the meat in a shoyu
mixture. It was tasty.

I know a couple of guys that used to raise pigs. One is Hawaiian and the
other was from the mainland. Boy, do these guys know pigs! They also
seem to have a genuine fondness for the animal. The people on my
mother's side of the family was known as pig farmers and they were
really looked down upon for it.

Many an old sow did I sleep with when she was
'pigging' to prevent the babies from getting
squashed. You had to be careful as the maternal
instinct would kick in if the piglets squealed
too much and the sows would get quite vicious.
I wouldn't say that I was a pig lover but they
were okay to handle most of the time. I prefer
cattle by far.

On 10/1/2011 12:19 PM, Roy wrote:
> Many an old sow did I sleep with when she was
> 'pigging' to prevent the babies from getting
> squashed. You had to be careful as the maternal
> instinct would kick in if the piglets squealed
> too much and the sows would get quite vicious.
> I wouldn't say that I was a pig lover but they
> were okay to handle most of the time. I prefer
> cattle by far.
>
>

My neighbor would kill his pigs by holding them alongside his body and
quickly opening up their neck artery with a hidden knife. He said they
didn't feel a thing nor were they frightened. This is a good thing.

Roy wrote:
> You must have lived in a strange world if you
> had never heard of "boar" taint before.
>
> Perhaps your sense of taste is not as acute as
> that of normal people. Some people are more sensitive
> to "boar" taste or smell than others.
>
> If you raised pigs for a living you would know
> first-hand what all is involved.

I don't know who you are replying to but I've never head of it.

"Julie Bove" wrote:
>Roy wrote:
>> You must have lived in a strange world if you
>> had never heard of "boar" taint before.
>>
>> Perhaps your sense of taste is not as acute as
>> that of normal people. Some people are more sensitive
>> to "boar" taste or smell than others.
>>
>> If you raised pigs for a living you would know
>> first-hand what all is involved.
>
>I don't know who you are replying to but I've never heard of it.

All mammals have taint, even you... it's that strip of skin between
your genitals and your anus... tain't pussy and tain't asshole. LOL

my father raised enough pigs for our family use until a sow turned on him,
and bit the 2 x 4 he had in his hand in half, next day all of them left for
bacon heaven, Lee
"Roy" > wrote in message
news:13149556.550.1317507563877.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@prib32...
> Many an old sow did I sleep with when she was
> 'pigging' to prevent the babies from getting
> squashed. You had to be careful as the maternal
> instinct would kick in if the piglets squealed
> too much and the sows would get quite vicious.
> I wouldn't say that I was a pig lover but they
> were okay to handle most of the time. I prefer
> cattle by far.
>
>