Wild Boar Spareribs

20stone · February 2015

Howdy all -

Before I go on a feral hog hunting rampage, I thought I would try some out first. I ordered some spareribs from Broken Arrow Ranch, who captures hogs off of other folk's property and turns them loose on their ranch until they snipe and process them in the field - http://www.brokenarrowranch.com/.

They were shipped frozen in a styro pack, and were mostly thawed when I opened the box. Each package had two racks totaling about 2.5 lbs, making them much smaller/lighter than the market hog ribs I am used to, and looking very much like baby backs in thickness/meatiness (at about 1.25 lbs per rack).

They are going on in a few minutes for an early dinner. I will post pics as the cook progresses

J

RRP · February 2015

Interesting business that is for sure! And at $10 a pound for your ribs that sure isn't cheap! Now a question for you. They are selling wild boar, but you open with a comment about feral hogs. Aren't they two different "animals"? I mean the feral hogs are nuisance animal and very destructive, but I thought wild boar were different with nasty sharp teeth.

20stone · February 2015

The animals are one and the same. If you eat wild boar in a restaurant (in Texas at least), it is most likely from Broken Arrow. The feral hogs in Texas are apparently descendants of Russian boars imported for hunting back in the day.

The tricky bit for eating feral hogs/wild boars is that you can't sell meat that was not slaughtered and processed in a USDA approved facility. If hogs are rounded up and put through a typical slaughterhouse, apparently the stresses on the animals aren't good for the quality/flavor of the meat (who, being wild, don't do the trailer to chute thing so happily).

Broken Arrow addresses this with their mobile slaughterhouses. Apparently, when it is "game time" they roll out with a driver, a USDA inspector and a sniper. The animals are shot and then processed in the sterile trailer within minutes of being killed.

I am heading out now to light up the BGE. I will keep taking pics as I go.

RRP · February 2015

Thank you for your thorough explanation. Being wild do you already think they will taste gamey? I'm anxious to hear about your results!

Legume · February 2015

that's a great story - mobile slaughterhouses

Coastalcooker · February 2015

Feral hogs do develop tusks. Before fence laws, farmers let cattle and hogs roam the woods to eat acorns and whatever else they might find. There were roundups, just like the wild west. On Ft Stewart, the government bought the land from farmers, but many had no where to take the animals and they were simply left. The fort has held cow hunts to get rid of the problem of feral cows.
I have eaten boar and have left boar or sow for that matter in the woods for the alligators. If they are living on acorns, they are lean and once over about 70 or 80 pounds are not very good IMHO.
Small ones taste fine.
Bob

20stone · February 2015

On the smoker!

I have them going at 230 d grid indirect over Ozark Oak and apple chunks.

I plan on wrapping in paper after 2.5 hours to help tenderness.

We'll see how it goes.

Photo Egg · February 2015

Very nice, will be watching for updates...

Mickey · February 2015

My service mgr would hunt and bring me the best summer sausage from them.

Jeepster47 · February 2015

20stone said:

@20stone ... I like your pit probe clip ... did you buy or make? Any info would be appreciated.

gdenby · February 2015

Please do comment on the taste. I've had several wild boar roasts, and they were excellent. But they were farmed hogs, not ones that were let to forage as they might.

RRP · February 2015

I plan on wrapping in paper after 2.5 hours to help tenderness.

Paper?

20stone · February 2015

Two and a half hours in.

I pulled them off and wrapped them. It looks like another hour will do the job.

I am concerned that the leaner meat will make these too tough, but we'll see in another hour or so.

RRP · February 2015

That is a new one to me - parchment paper I suppose?

20stone · February 2015

Butcher paper, as you would a brisket. The logic is that you get some of the benefits of foiling without having your crust/bark go to heck. I've never tried it with ribs.

Parchment paper has a coating that doesn't breathe, so, not so good.

I am going to pull them out in another 30 min, and we'll see how they're doing.

Zmokin · February 2015

I hope your experience with wild Boar is better than mine was. I ordered the wild boar at a nice restaurant in finland once. received a tough dry slab o meat, only due to the gravy with my mashed potatoes was the meat barely palatable. the reindeer steaks my friends ordered looked much tastier than what I had.

20stone · February 2015

4.5 hours in (2 in paper) and they are juicy and tasty but way, way too chewy. I am going to crank it up to 275 d and give em another hour.

RRP · February 2015

20stone said:
4.5 hours in (2 in paper) and they are juicy and tasty but way, way too chewy. I am going to crank it up to 275 d and give em another hour.

HELLO Houston! Come in, Houston! Anybody copy? Houston? Houston...Hous...

20stone · February 2015

Aaaaaaaaaatttttt laaaaaaaaaast.....

After 7 hours:

- 2.5 at 230 d

- 2 at 230 d (wrapped in butcher paper)

- 2.5 MORE at 275 d (wrapped)

Done and delicious. I love the taste of the boar, and it is much juicier than I might have expected. Next time, I will cook a bit hotter, but I was scared that they would be done too soon, and I didn't want to miss what I thought would be a narrow window. Next time I will start at 275 d and wrap after 2.5 hours, and see how that fares.

I am a little crippled from the (*cough*) Star Pizza (*cough*) we ate when we gave up at 7, but we muscled a couple down in spite of ourselves, and will eat the rest tomorrow.

J

bboulier · February 2015

Thanks for the report. They look very tasty.

Photo Egg · February 2015

Thanks for all the updates and photos…

They really look good.

caliking · February 2015

Awesome play by play. More fun than the SuperBowl IMO

Any gaminess to the flavor or just more robust than store pork?

Mickey · February 2015

Thanks for the post.

Zmokin · February 2015

20stone said:
Aaaaaaaaaatttttt laaaaaaaaaast.....

After 7 hours:
- 2.5 at 230 d
- 2 at 230 d (wrapped in butcher paper)
- 2.5 MORE at 275 d (wrapped)

Done and delicious. I love the taste of the boar, and it is much juicier than I might have expected. Next time, I will cook a bit hotter, but I was scared that they would be done too soon, and I didn't want to miss what I thought would be a narrow window. Next time I will start at 275 d and wrap after 2.5 hours, and see how that fares.

I am a little crippled from the (*cough*) Star Pizza (*cough*) we ate when we gave up at 7, but we muscled a couple down in spite of ourselves, and will eat the rest tomorrow.

J

Those do look very juicy and tasty.

20stone · February 2015

caliking said:
Awesome play by play. More fun than the SuperBowl IMO Any gaminess to the flavor or just more robust than store pork?

Glad you enjoyed.

I would call it a richer, meatier flavor. True to my word, I headed home for lunch today and wolfed down a rack. They were great.

Wild Boar Spareribs

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