Wild Boar shoulder

tcracing

I have a friend that is going to give a shoulder from a wild boar. I have no idea how to cook this. Any information that you can give is greatly appreciated.

Little Chef

tcracing: A few of our friends went boar hunting, and bagged 3 wild boar. Unfortunately, my husband "volunteered" that we would cook them on the Egg. (I will never do THAT again...lol) I think we cooked about 100 lbs of boar that weekend, but MY what a party it was!!! :laugh: Is it going to be fresh, or frozen? Let me know, and I will continue, but I can tell you already, that brining is in your future.

Edited since I can't sleep: If it is fresh boar, you want to do a "purge" brine for 24 hours. Simply 1 c Kosher salt, 1/2 cup regular sugar, per 1 gallon of water. You need to make enough to cover, so double, triple, etc the recipe as needed. If you want to brine in a cooler to keep the space in the fridge, simply make a heavily iced water per the measurements. Purge brine for 24 hours. (and if your buddy is smart, you guys will purge brine ALL the meat! When we did the 2 of the 3 boars, we honestly used a 100+ gallon cooler, and it was packed to the lid. I used about 5 lbs of kosher salt in that purge brine) When you see the purge brine, beware. Looks like a slaughter house but worse. Completely drain the purge brine, and all the other nasties in the cooler. Please attempt the purge brine if it is frozen, but put it in the brine mixture after it is fully thawed.

After the purge, Mix 2 tablespoons pickling spice, 1 cup kosher salt, and 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed) per gallon of water, making enough to cover. Allow to brine in the spiced mixture for 24 hours. Rinse well, and pat dry, and ready for the Egg just like a normal butt...

Cook it as low and slow as you can, and I promise, it will be the best boar you've eaten! Seriously, we did this to two boars (butchered into parts), and had a party for about 60 boar eaters/hunters. They went nuts for the food!

As a note, we reserved the loins and tenderloins, and rubbed and grilled direct. (though those parts also took part in the complete brining process) Same with the ribs...brined, but since the boar is so lean, we cooked them indirect, but not for long.

Hope this helps!

tcracing

He has had it in ice water since last week-end. It really is coming from a friend of a friend. As far as I know it hasn't been frozen. What if you are allergic to pickle spices? Is ther anything else I can use? By brining does it take out any of the gamey taste? How long per pound? Direct or indirect.

Frank from Houma

If alergic to pickling spice I would simply leave it out.

LC has great advice (as always) and I'm sure she is suggesting that you go indirect low and slow just as if you were doing pulled pork. Use a rub you would normally use on a boston butt. Grid temp 225-250 until the the internal temp is 195-200. Will probably be 1-1/2 to 2 hours per pound but certainly want to cook to temp rather than cook to time.

LC - hopefully I didn't misinterpret

eenie meenie

Tim, here are two recipes from classes in Tuscany:

Cinghiale in umido
880 g wild boar meat
50 g pancettaa
500 g chopped tomatoes
3 glasses red wine
2 cloves of garli
2 tsp fennel seed
3 bay leaves
1 Tbls crushed Juniper berried
1/2 glass of red wine vinegar
&P
8 T olive oil
Cut the boar into stewing pieces and marinate overnight in a nonreactive dish with 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds, 2 glasses red wine, 1/2 glass of red wine vinegar, S&P.

Slightly brown the pancetta with oil, brown the meat. Add the bay leaves and juniper berries and 1 glass of red wine in a nonreactive ducth oven. When the wine has evaporated add 1 tsp of crushed fennel seeds and S&P.

Simmer low and slow until tender. Can leave the lid off the dutch oven for a bit of smoke.

I would serve this on a bed of polenta, with rosemary potatoes, or with pappardelle. If you put it on pasta, you will want to shred some of the meat to 'thicken' the consistency.

Cinghiale con le mele Wild Boar with Apples:
Brown cubed boar 2 lbs., remove, carmelize equal portions , about 1 cup each of carrots and onions in clarified butter, sprinkkle in some flour and cook a couple minutes while stirring until now longer raw and add some wine 1 1/2 cups. Place this stuff in a dutch oven, preferrably, nonreactive. Add some garlic, bay leaf, S&P. Simmer indirect.When it is almost done stir in 1/4 cup of brandy (Calvados is recommended) and simmer for a bit. In a seprate pan, brown about 4 apples, peeled and sliced in clarified butter.

I think my favorite preperation is like a ragu, as I am not much of a game person. You can use an Italian ragu recipe and use the wild boar in place of another meat.

I've never prepped the boar meat like LC.....it was already prepped.