Bone in wild boar front leg

[HHI6818]

Son shot a wild boar in Oklahoma last week. He left front legs whole and I told him I would smoke it for him to take back to college. Any suggestions on how I should make it?

 

[Shedd]

Although they are still a pig they are much leaner and more complex to smoke, especially legs. I just noticed your post and you probably already started, plenty of info online I’m sure. Brining (many brine recipes on line for pork), injecting I’ve used apple cider cut with 1/4 water but many other ways, you have to start slower cooking longer to break down the collagen in wild hogs. Spray with water or apple cider mixed with water every hour or so. Cook a few hours under 200 then stay under 225 a few hours. After about 6 hours I would wrap tightly in foil and cook at 225 until 195-200. Don’t go over the 200 it’ll be too soft. Good luck on the cook, hopefully it’ll all work out for your son and his college buddies.
We start hunting them in January after Deer season is over and stop by March. We don’t fool with them in warmer weather the meat spoils quickly. We usually will cook a couple whole hog on a pit but mainly we get them processed in sausage. We don’t take many but we only shoot sows to eat. We’ll shoot some for local food shelters.

 

[HHI6818]

Thanks for info. Son goes back to college on Jan 5 so I’ll wait and smoke it
On the 4’th. Did some Goggling last night and found several brines.

 

[HHI6818]

I brined hog shoulder for 36 hrs and put it on the Ironwood 650 at 8 am this morning.
Used a light covering of Meat Church Honey Hot Hot and then a heavy dose of Honey Hog. Wrapped it at 165 and it’s still on the smoker

 

[Shedd]

Now that’s looking good! Hopefully it’ll be as delicious as it looks and your son will be able to show off at school. Let us know how it turned out.

 

[HHI6818]

It turned out pretty good. Wife said a little salty and I didn’t use all the salt recipe called for. Friend said was it down with beer! LOL

 

[FieldMedic]

36 hrs may have been a tad on the the longer side when brining pork especially with a salt forward brine. Did you wash the brine off prior to smoking? Something I’ve learned with brining deer, muley, elk, hams. Once you remove the ham from the brine and wash the brine from the ham... cut a small portion from the ham and fry it up. You should be able to get an idea for saltiness. With less delicate primal cuts your able to get away with soaking a ham in fresh water to remove salt. Pork is a bit more delicate and can degrade or become mushy if your not carefully especially when you wet brine.

Your Boar looks awesome! Congrats to you and your Son on his hunt! There’s no better feeling than providing for the family “field to table”! Well Done Sir!

 

[HHI6818]

Yes I washed leg off after removing from brine. It wasn’t all salty but certain pieces. Friend stopped off and ate some day after. He said it wasn’t salty.