# Wild pig cook



## wittdog (Apr 26, 2006)

One of the guys I work with took his son on a hunt before he leaves for the Military.  He asked me to BBQ a small picnic from the wild pig they took.  The picnic is very small and very lean, between 4-5 lbs. I am concerned that with it being so lean it would dry out. So I wrapped it in bacon in an attempt to form an artificial fat cap and have added a water pan to Buford in an attempt to not dry out this out.  I just seasoned the meat with some S&P and plan to smoke it with hickory and a small bit of cherry wood.   I plan on foiling  it while it is on Buford. Does anyone want to hazard a guess what the cook time will be other than It will be done when it’s done?  I also tossed on a couple of split chickens on for dinner tonight and I am planning to make the Buffalo Wing Dip later in the week with the leftovers.  Here is the link for today’s cook.
http://img84.imageshack.us/slideshow/pl ... 9408l.smil


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## LarryWolfe (Apr 26, 2006)

I haven't cooked wild hog before, but I'd suspect you'd cook it pretty much the same as a regular picnic.  I think you are thinking in the right direction though about foiling it or even better you could cook it in an aluminum pan.  If you end up getting alot more rendered fat than you think, just pour some out of the pan so it doesn't boil in the juices and turn to mush.


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## DATsBBQ (Apr 26, 2006)

Can't venture a guess on total cook time, but I would foil at 170 and add some apple cider to the foil packet.
DATsBBQ


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## Finney (Apr 26, 2006)

There was a wild hog on the road to work this morning.  It seemed to have lost a fight with a motor vehicle.  Must have hit it just right because it wasn't messed up.... just dead.  The guys here wanted me to cook it up, but I declined.


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## wittdog (Apr 26, 2006)

I didn't think about a pan................ That's a good idea.  I was thinking of cider vinegar and apple juice in the foil.


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## LarryWolfe (Apr 26, 2006)

Finney said:
			
		

> There was a wild hog on the road to work this morning.  It seemed to have lost a fight with a motor vehicle.  Must have hit it just right because it wasn't messed up.... just dead.  The guys here wanted me to cook it up, but I declined.



I think it scared you to go pick it up cause it reminded you of Ned Beaty in Deliverance!  8-[


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## wittdog (Apr 26, 2006)

That stuff doesn't happen up North.


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## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (Apr 26, 2006)

Id stay away from the foil and vinegar thing. Your on the right track with the bacon wrap. Was the skin removed?


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## Finney (Apr 26, 2006)

Larry Wolfe said:
			
		

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It did have a pretty mouth.  LOL


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## wittdog (Apr 26, 2006)

Pigs On The Wing BBQ said:
			
		

> Id stay away from the foil and vinegar thing. Your on the right track with the bacon wrap. Was the skin removed?



Skin was gone as well as whatever fat was on it. That's the way I got it. I thought about mopping but with the colder temps and winds today I'm not going to.  This is the first time I've used Buford in weather like this so Ive had to make so adjustments.  It's all good.


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## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (Apr 26, 2006)

Good call on the mop also. Stick burner's can be tough to run around here this time of the year. Sounds like your doing what you need to do exactly when you need to do it!


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## oompappy (Apr 26, 2006)

brian j said:
			
		

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Now there's an interesting bbq term  :grin:


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## LarryWolfe (Apr 26, 2006)

brian j said:
			
		

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Brian normally I'd agree with you, but in this case with it being wild hog versus farm raised I'd foil around 160* or cook in a aluminum pan.  From what I've seen and heard, they don't have the fat or marbling like a pig we buy at the store and you don't want that thing to dry out.


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## wittdog (Apr 26, 2006)

brian j said:
			
		

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Brian I know where you are coming from but I am concerned that this is going to dry out. I would rather sacrifice some of the magic, my pit is running on the cooler side today and I‘m going to let it when I foil, I will  let it cook in it's own juices.  I'll try to split the difference of letting it lolly gag through its platues by compensating by running the pit temp cooler thus hopefully negating the foil increase effect. Right now between dealing with this piece of pig, the weather, my kids, the other stuff I have to do and trying to update you guys I feel like a one armed man juggling chainsaws.  No offense to you one armed jugglers out there.  I don’t have any pans big enough so I’ve decided to foil now at 130* I think most of the magic happens between 160* and 190* I am thinking about unfoiling at ~160* kind of like applying the 3-2-1 rib thing.  Does this makes sense to anyone or am I just not thinking right?  I really appreciate everyone’s input it's been really helpfull.
I don't know if it came across in the pic but this shoulder is relativey thin only about 4in thick.

Here it is at 130* ready to wrap. I also threw on a lazyman’s fatty. Just sausage with rub. This is my first fatty attempt.  Daddy’s helpers are grilling up some grub too.  Notice the color of the shoulder, 

<
http://img269.imageshack.us/slideshow/p ... 19slm.smil


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## wittdog (Apr 26, 2006)

Larry Wolfe said:
			
		

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Brian normally I'd agree with you, but in this case with it being wild hog versus farm raised I'd foil around 160* or cook in a aluminum pan.  From what I've seen and heard, they don't have the fat or marbling like a pig we buy at the store and you don't want that thing to dry out.[/quote:1wwkvmbj]

Larry you are right they have no fat and no marbling, at least the one I was given.


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## Captain Morgan (Apr 26, 2006)

Might not hurt to inject.


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## wittdog (Apr 26, 2006)

Fatty is off and I the chicken is done. Here are pics of the fatty, the batteries died while I was trying to get pics of the chicken.  Then the boys came and wanted samples.  Looks like no pics of chicks. The wp is wrapped and the temp is at 140* and the smoker 225*  I’ll try to get pics of wp when it is done and keep you informed of what I am doing.


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## Kloset BBQR (Apr 26, 2006)

Witdog,

I've never had wild pig before.  Does it have a wild taste to it like most game does?

I agree with the Captain.  Injecting would probably be a great idea due to the low fat content of the meat!

Thanks for sharing the pics.


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## wittdog (Apr 26, 2006)

Kloset BBQR said:
			
		

> Witdog,
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I don’t know my buddy said that when they ate some on the game reserve, it didn’t have that wild taste.  I’ve heard of people using bacon with venison to draw some of the wild taste away, I’m hoping that the bacon would not only add fat but would draw the wild flavor out if there was any.   I thought about injecting the meat but decided to go with a more minimalist approach. Salt Pepper and Smoke.  This will be a learning experience at the very least.


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## LarryWolfe (Apr 26, 2006)

If they game is field dressed and butchered properly, there should be minimal if any gamey taste.  Like I said I've never killed or eaten wild pig, but I have other game and this has been my experience with it.


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## wittdog (Apr 26, 2006)

I just gave the foiled wp a squeeze and it feels like it’s pretty moist.  I think I’m going to continue with the foil. I’ve done this before with brisket’s and also with butts, foiled at 160* and I’ve had good results.  I’ll try to keep you informed.


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## LarryWolfe (Apr 26, 2006)

wittdog said:
			
		

> I just gave the foiled wp a squeeze and it feels like it’s pretty moist.  I think I’m going to continue with the foil. I’ve done this before with brisket’s and also with butts, foiled at 160* and I’ve had good results.  I’ll try to keep you informed.



Open the foil in a bit and stick a fork in it, if the fork goes into the meat easily and you can twist it easily it's done.  Not sure if you'll need to take it to the typical 190-200* range as you would a normal picnic/butt.


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## wittdog (Apr 26, 2006)

Larry Wolfe said:
			
		

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I just peeked at it and it’s a 170* I think that I’m going to have to take it up to somewhere near the 190*/200*.  The meat is pretty moist but it’s going to need more time.  It’s not quite tender enough yet. But I think it’s looking pretty good.


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## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (Apr 26, 2006)

I agree with Larry. The ole fork test is what I use and have used for many years. As far as venison being " wild taste" it was not butchered right and also not to put too much blame on the butcher, It was not field dressed correctly. The venison we get from my bub and father melts like butter in your mouth. The great blond hunter (Val my wife) got 2 deer in 3 shots. She was so filled with excitement and shaking when it came time to gut them out a slit was made in the stomach. BAD news. You deer hunters know what that's like.


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## zilla (Apr 26, 2006)

All of the ones I have smoked have been very lean. Some guys trap the hogs and feed them "Hog Finisher" A grain to help fatten them up. I don't know if this adds fat marbling or not. Larry is correct about pulling the wild hog early 155-160 and foiling it and stick it in a cooler for awhile. They can't take overcooking at all. Wild hogs or "feral hogs by the proper name" are not "Game Animals" They are domestic pigs that have escaped or have been set free for hunting 200 years ago. Because they are not game animals they do not have Game flavor. They do however have "More" flavor than your typical supermarket piggy. As feral hogs get older they often become cannibalistic and are prone to eating carrion. This can alter the flavor of a feral hog for the worse. The young ones taste great. Here are some pics of one I did this fall.


http://www.kodakgallery.com/photozilla/wild_hog


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## wittdog (Apr 26, 2006)

Well I hope I didn't overcook it to much. I pulled it off at 173* and I am now placing it in a cooler to rest. Thanks again for all your help and I let you know how it came out, and tell my buddy to get some pics.


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## LarryWolfe (Apr 26, 2006)

Well....................................how'd it turn out?


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## wittdog (Apr 27, 2006)

I just got home from work.  The guy I smoked it for really liked it. I don’t think that he was just saying that to be nice because he asked me if I would be willing to dry cure & smoke some hams, and make some BBQ out the shoulders of the pigs he is raising.  I didn’t get any pics because he picked it up when I was sleeping .Truth be told it didn’t look very pretty because of the bacon wrap and lack of a rub.  It did have a nice smoky color.  I pulled some off after I took it off of Buford and placed it in a cooler, IMO the flavor was good but I wasn’t really happy with the texture, I don’t know if it was because I foiled at 130* ,or if I overcooked it or if it was the particular piece of meat. I’ll take the blame though . The lack of any noticeable fat on it really scared me. He seem to be genuinely happy the way it came out.  I think it could have been better.  The chickens I had on with it came out good.  No pictures because to the batteries thing and my wife and kids torn into them.  I would like to thank everyone for their input. It was nice to have people to bounce ideas off of and this cook was a good learning experience.


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2006)

Glad it worked out Wittdog.  Next on the agenda, spare battery for the camera.  :grin:  :!:


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## wittdog (Apr 27, 2006)

The Joker said:
			
		

> Glad it worked out Wittdog.  Next on the agenda, spare battery for the camera.  :grin:  :!:


We have spare’s for the camera, they were dead also. We haven’t been taking as many pics now that the kids aren’t as cute as they used to be and are starting to look like the oldman.  :razz: I’ll have to get back on track I know how much you guys like your food porn. Even if it is of a substandard quality.


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