Boiled Pork Butt Smells Like Ammonia: How To Take It Away?

Have you ever boiled pork butt and it smells like ammonia?

It is definitely not a pleasant experience.

And in this article, we will together figure out what causes the ammonia smell in your boiled pork butt as well as some typical ways to get rid of it to make your dish tastier.

Stay tuned!

Why does my boiled pork butt smell like ammonia?

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Pork butt is one of the common cuts of pork that has a tough texture, making it ideal for slow-cooking recipes.

Pork butt is often boiled or blanched in hot water before being used in other recipes.

If you notice the ammonia-like odor in your pot of boiling pork butt, here are some reasons that might explain: 

Chances are the pork butt is taken from the male pigs that haven’t had their testicles cut off

There is a high chance that the ammonia smell from your pork butt points out that the pork butt cut is taken from the male pig.

Female pigs are not likely to have this unpleasant smell.

Moreover, a male pig that hasn’t been castrated, has more chances to deliver this odor if the technique wasn’t done right.

The pork butt is the part that is close to the testicles of the pigs, so it can get this odor even more easily with a stronger level.

Although this doesn’t affect the safety of the pork, the smell might be nasty to some extent.

Pork has been stored improperly and gone bad

The second cause for this odor is that your pork butt has been stored in an improper way that makes it spoiled.

The bacteria in the meat can produce an unpleasant smell, either a rotten egg, ammonia, or any other bad odor from spoiled pork.

So if the pork butt also comes with other signs of spoilage like discoloration or a weird texture besides the ammonia smell, it means your boiled pork butt is spoiled.

Is it safe to eat boiled pork butt that smells like ammonia?

As mentioned above, the ammonia smell can be caused by different reasons.

Due to these reasons, the answer to if boiled pork butt is safe enough to eat can vary.

If it is because the male pigs haven’t had their testicles cut off to release the ammonia smell, it means your pork is safe to eat, but it doesn’t smell as good as regular pork.

However, your boiled pork butt will be no longer to eaten if the meat also has other identifications that tell that it is already spoiled and should be discarded.

So if you notice that your pork butt has gray spots on the surface as well as a sticky or watery texture, it means that what you need to do is to throw it away to prevent getting illnesses from eating this kind of meat.

How to get rid of the ammonia smell from boiled pork butt?

So how to get rid of the ammonia odor from your boiled pork butt?

If you are having trouble handling this problem, here are some suggestions from us that can help you get rid of this issue or at least, minimum this unpleasant smell:

Ask the butcher to buy female pork butt

Male pigs have a higher chance to get the ammonia smell.

Therefore, the best way to get rid of this problem from the beginning is to buy a pork butt cut from female pigs.

This should be only done by the butcher because he knows the best.

Rinse the pork butt thoroughly before cooking

You can also try rinsing your pork butt carefully and thoroughly before cooking it.

If the plain freshwater doesn’t work, you can use lemon juice or vinegar to wash your pork butt, but don’t forget to remove the smell from these ingredients before cooking to make sure there won’t be any weird odor in your dish.

Buy a fresh cut and organic pork butt if possible

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Nothing is better than a fresh cut of pork from the pig that has been slaughtered.

Therefore, just looking for a fresh cut of pork and frozen pork should be treated as the last resort.

Organic pork butt tastes better because the pig has been raised with a healthy diet.

It is also more expensive, but it is worth the price.

The bottom line

It is important to figure out what is causing the ammonia smell in your pork butt so that you can avoid it the next time and know if it is safe to eat or not.

Hopefully, you find this article helpful in helping you stay away from the unpleasant ammonia smell in your pork butt recipe.

Good luck and enjoy your delicious meal with boiled pork butt!