Ideas for cooking wild hog?

[drumz2129]

I shot this little guy a few months back and it is time to get it out the freezer.



This is the first time I have cooked a small one whole. I usually quarter the larger ones and smoke them.
Let me hear some ideas for marinades or cooking methods.

I have a long Oklahoma Joe's style smoker, a larger diameter but shorter heavy wall home made pit with side fire box, and a gas grill with a rotisserie at my disposal.

 

[tallwalker]

If you are leaning towards smoking it whole, you could brine it and add onions, apples, and oranges for a day or two. Then smoke it and just before it is done, paint it with a jar of Tobasco pepper jelly. Did a shoult last week that way for Thanksgiving. It was gone the same day so I'm guessing it was good. Still had leftover turkey though.

 

[3fifty7]

I'd brine it with pineapple&orange juice with some salt&sugar. Inject the shoulders and hams with the marinade of choice( I'm partial to Stubbs) give it a heavy rub of sea salt and black pepper and put it over some apple or pecan wood and charcoal.

I dig the idea of glazing it with pepper jelly to finish, gonna have to steal that one.

 

[drumz2129]

I like the pepper jelly idea too. I have pecan wood for smoke.

I have never used a brine but will start one tonight. It seems that 1 cup table salt to 1 gallon of water to be the preferred ratio for a brine. What do yall prefer? How much juice and sugar or is it to taste?

 

[Emperor]

I like the pepper jelly idea too. I have pecan wood for smoke.

I have never used a brine but will start one tonight. It seems that 1 cup table salt to 1 gallon of water to be the preferred ratio for a brine. What do yall prefer? How much juice and sugar or is it to taste?

3fifty7 has it right. And I concur, Stubbs is Da Bomb! There is a pork flavor too!

Remember, that your brine is mostly to help soak up the smoke flavor. That's a small pig so you don't need to eliminate a heavy gaminess like a big one. Don't go overboard on the soaking of that little booger.

Personally, I would take a sharp knife and trim a little more of that excess fat/skin.

"You will let us know how that pig turns out, yes?"

 

[Cheesy Lasagna]

Yes, Stubbs. +2
Fantastic taste for commercially branded stuff.

 

[drumz2129]

3fifty7 has it right. And I concur, Stubbs is Da Bomb! There is a pork flavor too!

Remember, that your brine is mostly to help soak up the smoke flavor. That's a small pig so you don't need to eliminate a heavy gaminess like a big one. Don't go overboard on the soaking of that little booger.

Personally, I would take a sharp knife and trim a little more of that excess fat/skin.

"You will let us know how that pig turns out, yes?"

There should be little to no gamy flavor. after cleaning i let them sit on ice with the plug removed for 4-5 days to drain off any blood.

I will take pictures as i go and share the results.

Yes, Stubbs. +2
Fantastic taste for commercially branded stuff.

I'm guessing yall are talking about Stubb's Pork Marinade? I picked up a bottle of it at lunch today.



So far here are the plans,
Cooking will begin Saturday morning.
Piglet is thawing in the fridge right now. I plan to start the brine tonight (or should I wait till tomorrow?)
For the brine I have salt, brown sugar and apple juice. My wife has a pineapple on the counter that needs to be used so I may slice it and throw that in.
I will remove from the brine Friday night and rinse off then inject with the highly recommended Stubb's followed by a healthy massage down with Meathead's Memphis Dust.

I will use dry pecan wood for the smoke.

I will have a chance to try out my new dual meat thermometer setup.

 

[Emperor]

There should be little to no gamy flavor. after cleaning i let them sit on ice with the plug removed for 4-5 days to drain off any blood.

I will take pictures as i go and share the results.



I'm guessing yall are talking about Stubb's Pork Marinade? I picked up a bottle of it at lunch today.



So far here are the plans,
Cooking will begin Saturday morning.
Piglet is thawing in the fridge right now. I plan to start the brine tonight (or should I wait till tomorrow?)
For the brine I have salt, brown sugar and apple juice. My wife has a pineapple on the counter that needs to be used so I may slice it and throw that in.
I will remove from the brine Friday night and rinse off then inject with the highly recommended Stubb's followed by a healthy massage down with Meathead's Memphis Dust.

I will use dry pecan wood for the smoke.

I will have a chance to try out my new dual meat thermometer setup.

Better look at that Stubb's first; there are a lot of chunks of spice in it and it's thick. I suppose it will pass through a Cajun Injector needle, but don't wait to find out that morning.

 

[pangris1]

I've come to the conclusion that dry brine beats wet brine. I smoke stuff on a big green egg and can't taste any difference, but the amount of effort to wet is 100X more than just applying sea salt and rubbing in. You're accomplishing the same goal. Slather it up with everything and smoke that porker!

 

[3fifty7]

Better look at that Stubb's first; there are a lot of chunks of spice in it and it's thick. I suppose it will pass through a Cajun Injector needle, but don't wait to find out that morning.

Your right I usually strain the marinade, inject the liquid and save the solid bits and rub them onto the meat. Stubbs beef is killer on a brisket!

 

[Emperor]

Your right

Of course I am!

 

[drumz2129]

I've come to the conclusion that dry brine beats wet brine. I smoke stuff on a big green egg and can't taste any difference, but the amount of effort to wet is 100X more than just applying sea salt and rubbing in. You're accomplishing the same goal. Slather it up with everything and smoke that porker!

I have been reading that most have gone to a dry brine since most agree that any flavors added to the wet brine do little to nothing. So you just rub it down heavily with sea salt? how long before adding the rub?

 

[Leonidas]

Meathead's website is awesome. I've learned so much and so much that I have been told all my life that is wrong, it amazes me.

Try his sweet/sour coleslaw. It goes fast around here, since I omiited the onion.

I'm guessing you got one of the Maverick dual monitors. Been eyeballing one, as well. Would love to hear how it works for you.

 

[pangris1]

as noted www.amazingribs.com is an absolute gold mine.

I don't heavily salt the meat - I apply a fair amount but not a LOT. I am actually smoking a couple boston butts tomorrow and wish I'd taken a picture but c'est la vie.

After I apply the salt, I rub it in, then a very little oil before I apply some Dillo Dust etc and rub that in. Then overnight in the fridge in a ziploc and tomorrow the 16 hour burn shall begin. A few cherry wood chips, a bit of mesquite, and a lot of royal oak.

 

[Leonidas]

I'm new to smoking. Haven't done ribs or brisket yet. But I seem to have butts down. If I went no further I would still die happy.

I'd like to suggest something to youse. Next time you have a little extra space, do a meatloaf. No special treatment, just like you'd do it in the oven. Brush a little oil on, put it on a flat pan just till it firms up enough to not sink into the grate. I use a small pizza pan with holes in the bottom so it still gets smoke underneath. Mmmm, heaven. And its ready for a great lunch, while you're waiting for the main course. My version of a fatty.

 

[pangris1]

I've found that smoking ribs/brisket is easy if you understand how to build a fire/control the temp. Its taken a few tries but I can hit and hold 225 very easily now.

St Louis ribs for 6 hours, brisket for 14... I don't use the "Texas Crutch" for a butt but I do for the ribs and brisket.

I was sold on the BGE the first time I did ribs. Easily some of the best I'd ever had.

Just follow Meathead's advice on Amazing Ribs. From there I've deviated and experimented with great success.

I've since come to think I might have bought a Primo XL if I were to do it over again, but I got a smoking deal on my BGE and am very happy with everything I've cooked so far, ranging from the slow cooked ribs/butts/briskets to chickens at 325 and pizzas at 550 and seared tuna at 700... its a very versatile hunk-o-ceramic.

 

[Leonidas]

Thanx for the tip. I'm planning ribs this weekend. Got to, else I may forfeit my Memphis citizenship (ex patriot).

Gotta love a bbq (Meathead) guy who consults a physicist about cooking.

At the moment, I am limited to a UDS, but I'm gaining proficiency at holding temp. And I've got a plan to rig a hanging fire pan from the grate so I can also grill. I'm anxious to try his method for steak.

 

[drumz2129]

Well, the meat is on. Its been on since around 7am. I ended up putting the hog to soak thursday night in a apple juice/brine since i had already had the stuff to do it. Last night (after 24 hour soak) i rinsed it off, injected it with Stubb's pork marinade then rubbed it down with Meathead's Memphis Dust.






Thursday night I started with a "packer" brisket, trimmed it to my liking and injected it with a mixture of 1 part stubb's beef marinade - 2 parts low sodium beef broth. After 24 hours I removed it from the liquid, patted dry, then rubbed with the same rub as the hog.




As for my pit, the one i am using is a horizontal offset smoker (oklahoma joe's). Last night I modified it to 'tuning plate' style with movable bafles and a deflection plate. I also built a fire basket.





For temp monitoring I am using an iGrill dual probe bluetooth thermometer. The data logging feature is awesome along with being able to set high and low alarms for each probe. I am running one at grate level, held off about 1" with a piece of aluminum and the other in the brisket for now. I have a single probe digital thermometer for the hog.

Here is a shot of the app running on my nexus shortly after moving the probes earlier.



And here is a shot after moving the brisket to the pan and laying the hog out.

 

[kengel2]

I hope you have some people coming over, thats a ton of meat.

 

[drumz2129]

I hope you have some people coming over, thats a ton of meat.

Should have a pretty good turn out. We have a big bonfire for after dark.

The brisket is now wrapped tight and finishing up in the oven set to convection (holds very steady) @ 225degF.



Piglet repositioned and wired up to finish out.