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Wild boar question

So a friend of mine gave me a 5 lb wild boar, bone in roast.  It resembled a ham.  I decided that I was going to treat it like a Boston butt and do a low and slow at 225°-250° and make pulled pork. After a nice bark was developed (about 160° internal temperature), I wrapped it in butcher's paper and put it back on the egg.  I let it run its course and after an internal temperature of 203° was obtained, I pulled it and let it rest for about 1/2 hour.  Here's where the confusion set in.  Although the taste was incredible, it did NOT shred like pulled pork.  I had to slice the roast and although it was very good, if I woukd have known it wouldn't have shredded, I would've pulled it at around 170° for slicing.

Does anyone know why the wild boar wouldn't shred?  Is it the muscle group or perhaps that fact that the boar is so lean?

Comments

  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    You are right. Not enough fat content to break down and shred like pork butt.
    Would need to cook more like a lean hunk of beef roast.
    There is a recipe on this forum for a pulled beef dish that is braised in cast iron after the smoke. This should work well.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,676
    If I had to guess, I would say it's something to do with the parasites in wild boar meat.
    I have posed the question a few times, do wild boars have the parasite Trichinosis that once was prevalent in domestic pork?
    If the parasite is indeed present in wild boar, I certainly would go to 200-205 Degrees as @SGH recommends.

    If anyone knows for certain about the parasites, please reply.

  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    edited October 2019
    GregW said:
    If anyone knows for certain about the parasites, please reply.

    Brother please take what I am about to say with a grain of salt and do not misunderstand what I say. To my knowledge, Trichinosis has never been much of an issue in south Mississippi or in south Alabama.  I have hunted these woods with my grandfather since the late 60’s and never any issue with Trichinosis with any wild swine from this area. 
    With that said, in no way can I speak for the rest of the state let alone the rest of the nation. I can say with 100% certainty it has never been an issue in my lifetime along the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf coast. However, it could be an epidemic for the remaining part of the two states. I have no clue except for the areas we have always hunted and trapped.  

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,676
    SGH said:
    GregW said:
    If anyone knows for certain about the parasites, please reply.

    Brother please take what I am about to say with a grain of salt and do not misunderstand what I say. To my knowledge, Trichinosis has never been much of an issue in south Mississippi or in south Alabama.  I have hunted these woods with my grandfather since the late 60’s and never any issue with Trichinosis with any wild swine from this area. 
    With that said, in no way can I speak for the rest of the state let alone the rest of the nation. I can say with 100% certainty it has never been an issue in my lifetime along the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf coast. However it could be an epidemic for the remaining part of the two states. I have no clue except for the areas we have always hunted and trapped.  

    Thank you for your reply. I would imagine if it's in the pork, cooking properly is the key.
    It appears parasite infection from wild boar is possible, but extremely rare.

    A search turned up following information:

    Much of the improvement to domesticated pork comes from controlling their food sources but such management is not possible with wild boar because they are, well… wild. So, how common is trichinella infection in wild boar? It varies with one study showing a 5.7% infection rate and other showing 13%.2, 3 In Texas, however, a study sampling 226 wild boar found 0% infection rate!4 The most comprehensive study, performed by the USDA, sampled from 32 states found an average wild boar trichinella infection rate of 3%.5

    All diagnosed cases of trichinosis are required to be reported to the CDC and there were 90 cases total reported from 2008 - 2012. Wild boar meat was the source of only 6 of those cases. Domesticated pork products infected 10 people - more than wild boar!6

    How Can I Be Sure Wild Boar Meat Is Safe To Eat?

    Cooking wild boar meat to an internal temperature of at least 140°F will make it safe from any potential trichinella.7 To provide a margin of safety, the USDA recommends the final temperature of cooked pork should reach 160°F. The internal temperature of meat cooked on a grill or in an oven will continue to rise 5-10° after cooking. If cooking a tender cut of wild boar, like a loin or a chop ready rack, it can be pulled off the heat at an internal temperature of 150°F. Cooking methods like hot smoking or braising will produce safe temperatures for cuts like stews and roasts.

    Freezing wild boar meat is another way to help control safety. Any Trichinella spiralis present in wild boar pork is killed instantly when frozen to -10°F, within 8 minutes at -4°F, and within 4 days at 14°F.7 Here at Broken Arrow Ranch our practice is to keep wild boar cuts frozen at 14°F or less for a minimum of 20 days to ensure safety.

    By understanding this potentially harmful organism and using good cooking practice, you can insure that you can safely enjoy the great flavor of truly wild boar.



  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    @GregW
    I am glad that you took the time to look it up my friend. I am currently offshore and have very limited internet. It is all I can do to log into the forum. 
    And again just to be clear, I only have first hand knowledge of the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf coast. But it has never been a concern here since at least 1967. I can vouch for that firsthand my friend. 

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,676
    edited October 2019
    SGH said:
    @GregW
    I am glad that you took the time to look it up my friend. I am currently offshore and have very limited internet. It is all I can do to log into the forum. 
    And again just to be clear, I only have first hand knowledge of the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf coast. But it has never been a concern here since at least 1967. I can vouch for that firsthand my friend. 
      If it's safe enough for @SGH , it's safe enough for me.
    Stay safe offshore.

  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    edited October 2019
    GregW said:
    Stay safe offshore.

    Thank you my brother. From the Seven Borealis lay vessel, just this side of Altamira 👍

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 6,286
    I am glad to see these temps posted. Believe it or not tomorrow I will try my very first Boston Butt after owning an Egg for 10 plus years. Domestic of course. I will be able to foil it but the BB is 8 lbs so most pans wouldn’t fit in the medium.
  • Dmb3739
    Dmb3739 Posts: 62
    You're in for a real treat. I recommend a pork butt to many of my friends as something to try. I've done many and all have been a success.  I have used foil on all until this wild boar.  The reason I attempted butcher's paper is because I find the foil to soften the nice bark that I've worked to develope.  I find a pork butt to be very hard to mess up. Enjoy.  And thank you to those who responded in regards to my question.  Next time I cook a wild boar, I will follow SGH's recommendations. 
  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    I am glad to see these temps posted. Believe it or not tomorrow I will try my very first Boston Butt after owning an Egg for 10 plus years. Domestic of course. I will be able to foil it but the BB is 8 lbs so most pans wouldn’t fit in the medium.
    If you are cooking a “domestic” shoulder disregard the wrapping at 140 my friend. If you chose to wrap take it to 160-165 first. The 140 I posted above is strictly to give “wild” pork more time to steam and break down. In no way is this necessary for domestic pork. 

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    edited October 2019
    Dmb3739 said:
    The reason I attempted butcher's paper is because I find the foil to soften the nice bark that I've worked to develope.  
    This is certainly true my friend. Foiling will definitely yield a softer bark. However, as with most things, you have to give a little to get a little. If you want it to shred no problem, foil it and do like I do. Ignore the softer bark. I would much rather it pull and have soft bark than it not pull but have great bark. You got to kind of pick between the lesser of the two evils my friend 👍

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • Going to smoke a Wild Boar Ham for the firsttime  on my BGE, looking for good recipes - have seen varying schools of thought on brining - yes or no? Was hoping to be able to slice the ham instead of pulling, any suggestions - thanks in advance.