Meat quality is an important economic trait that influences the development of the pig industry. Skeletal muscle development and glycolytic potential (GP) are two crucial aspects that significantly impact meat quality. It has been reported that abnormal skeletal muscle development and high glycogen content results in low meat quality. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying these factors are still unclear. Compared with intensive pig breeds, Chinese indigenous pig breeds, such as the Jinhua pig, express superior meat quality characteristics. The differences in the meat quality traits between Jinhua and intensive pig breeds make them suitable for uncovering the genetic mechanisms that regulate meat quality traits. In this study, the Jinhua pig breed and five intensive pig breeds, including Duroc, Landrace, Yorkshire, Berkshire, and Pietrain pig breeds, were selected as experimental materials. First, theFSTand XP-EHH methods were used to screen the selective signatures on the genome in the Jinhua population. Then, combined with RNA-Seq data, the study further confirmed thatSOCS3could be a key candidate gene that influences meat quality by mediating myoblast proliferation and glycometabolism because of the down-regulated expression ofSOCS3in Jinhua pigs compared with Landrace pigs. Finally, throughSOCS3knockout (KO) and overexpression (OE) experiments in mouse C2C12 cells, the results showed thatSOCS3regulated the cell proliferation of myoblasts. Moreover,SOCS3is involved in regulating glucose uptake by the IRS1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Overall, these findings provide a basis for the genetic improvement of meat quality traits in the pig industry.