OT: Wild Hog Shoulder

jeremyrbrown

Junior
Sep 4, 2008
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My uncle is bringing me a wild hog shoulder. I'm obviously going to smoke it tonight and/or tomorrow. I assume it's leaner than your standard butt. Anyone have a technique they want to share?
 

PBRME

All-Conference
Feb 12, 2004
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You forgot to flip it every 5-10 minutes for an hour.
 

msufbfan

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Aug 28, 2012
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rub with texas pete and hold overnight, put your favorite rub on and cook low (250) turning until all is charred and looking good but not done. Then place in pan, poor in 2 cups wickers then wrap tightly with tin foil. Cook another 2 to 3 hrs. You will like it.
 

DonDon.sixpack

Redshirt
Aug 31, 2012
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Soak it for 24 hours in plain water, changing the water out every 6-8 hours. Then Brine it with 2 gallons of water, 2 cups of salt and 2 of brown sugar plus enough Ice in a cooler to cover it. THEN smoke it low and slow, 225 til 190. internal. Pecan, Apple or Cherry wood for Pork. Whatever rub you use, add 1 part rub to 1 part brown sugar.
 

Palmettodog

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Aug 22, 2012
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I'm with DonDon on this. We have been killing a ton on our property and this is

the best way we have cooked on so far. I don't use as much brown sugar but I'm sure it doesn't hurt.
 

Crazy Cotton

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Aug 26, 2012
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lots of good ideas. Most important is temperature

My uncle is bringing me a wild hog shoulder. I'm obviously going to smoke it tonight and/or tomorrow. I assume it's leaner than your standard butt. Anyone have a technique they want to share?


Lots of interesting flavor suggestions. But, the thing that must happen is to hold your heat below 275, preferably in the 225 - 250 range. If you don't, all that connective tissue in the meat will get stringy and solid from overheating and a dog won't eat it. If you keep your heat low and slow, you will melt that tissue into a juicy mix of amino acids and gelatin, and your meat will be tender, plump and moist, just like I like it. The best 50 bucks you will ever spend, if you do BBQ on a regular basis, is for a decent remote thermometer. The ones on your grill are crude.
 
Nov 16, 2005
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Have you tried cooking the big ones or the smaller ones or both?Everyone I talk to says the big ones are nasty to eat. We are lucky that we don't have any here yet but I'm sure they are coming.
 
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Slippery Pete

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Sep 10, 2009
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Wild hogs can be infected with diseases transmittable to humans (zoonotic diseases), such as swine brucellosis. Freezing only renders the bacteria dormant, so be sure to cook the meat to an internal temperature of 165 to 170 degrees F. This will also take care of any trichina worms (Trichinosis) and leptosporidia bacteria (Leptosporosis). It is absolutely fine to eat wild hogs, but do take care to handle and prepare the meat properly.
 

DonDon.sixpack

Redshirt
Aug 31, 2012
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190-195 internal

is the desired temp for pulled pork. I've cooked in a few BBQ comps and cooked a many a boston butt for parties. I've tried pulling at 175 to 180 and it's just not tender. If you go much over 200, it's just a mushy mess. As others have said. 225-250 for the smoker. Sho yo meat some love LOL One thing you can do is hit it good with smoke for 4-6 hours max, then foil it with a little apple juice and more of your spice rub til it's done. To much smoke make the bark, bitter.
 

Palmettodog

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Aug 22, 2012
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The smaller ones are definitely better.

Once they get above 100lbs they tend to get real tough and gamey tasting. The ones around 20-30lbs are awesome. We killed several babies, for lack of better term, during deer season in the morning, put them on the Orion at lunch and ate them for dinner. The bigger ones you def need to brine.
 

coach66

Junior
Mar 5, 2009
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I killed a 160 lb sow this year and after

Gutting and skinning it I had no desire
To eat it, not even with Dales and eye talian dressing .
 

AgDawg

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May 24, 2006
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Follow DonDon's instructions cause I learned the hard way on wild hogs my first time and it resembled more jerky like than BBQ.
 

crushing

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Aug 29, 2012
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Co-worker killed one last year. Hog was about 300lbs. He brined it 9 different times. It was the worst pork, I ever tasted. Very very gamey. I wouldn't try cooking anything over 100lbs. You will most likely be disappointed.