Wild pigs vs. Store bought

[Poolshark]

Hi guys! It's been a while since I have been on here, and I do miss it, but as we all know, sometimes priorities (work) come first...which most of the time just plain sucks.

Anyhow, I do get a break from work this week and am going on a pig hunt. This will be my first, and wanted to learn from you guys any different preparation methods for cooking wild pigs vs store bought farm raised pigs. I have heard that these pigs are rather lean, and am wondering if that will come into play when smoking for long periods of time. Meaning, when the fat and connective tissue render in your standard pork butt, it keeps things nice and moist...will that go away with a lean piece of meat?

Those are the type of questions I have on this matter, and would love to have some feedback if you guys have any to offer. Also, any recommendations on processing besides the standard hams, butts, ribs, loins...etc?

[Quarlow]

Well first you need to tenderize it. And we know just the guy who can tell you how many bullets it takes to tenderize a wild pig. 

[Hiram]

My father killed a wild pig about 20 yrs ago at a remote farm in NC ( we stayed at the farm for 3 Days and the owner guided us) the lady of the house cooked a hind quarter for us on Saturday evening. She gathered roots and different weeds combined with a salt brine to soak the meat in the day before. Quizzing her on the preparation she told me without the ingredients for the soaking the meat would be so strong as unable to eat. It was delicious with a slightly wild taste but no more than venison. We ended up giving them the rest of the pig after learning of the preparation that it required. It makes you wonder as the main diet of the pigs in this locale was roots, acorns etc, why should the meat be so strong on the diet they ate.
I have heard of people cooking wild hogs so  I don't know.

[Tenpoint5]

Hiram sounds to me like you got talked out of a hog!! The Amish around here basically let their hogs roam wild in the timber. foraging on roots, acorns and what they can find. So basically wild hogs. Hamzilla was one of these hogs. There wasn't any wild taste to it at all. Actually it was one of the best Hams I have eaten.

Hmazilla in the Making

[3rensho]

Nobody does anything special to wild hogs in this part of the world.  Shoot, gut and eat.

[NePaSmoKer]

I wudda been on this like white on rice

[unclebuck]

Don't shoot a big boar if you can help it.  The meat usually has a very strong flavour.  A sow or young boar are very good fare!!

[3rensho]

Last week six nice wild piggies walked right by my house on the edge of a forest.   Even stopped to reconnoiter for a couple of minutes.  They are a nuisance in this area.

[Hiram]

Figures it was a big boar.

[cobra6223]

 We have shot a couple of wild hogs , the problems we found were that 1) the chops were micro sized so I would put more in the package , we started with 2 and when my son opened the first pack he had to take 3 more packs out to get a taste , very small , 2) The ham when brined turned out so salty I really didn't like it and wound up giving them away , 3) The bacon was awesome just like a candy ! . Both our pigs were about 8o pounds before dressing and a professional butcher did the proccessing . We hunted hogs in Texas and it was a BLAST , so enjoy your hunt !
Tim

[Quarlow]

Speaking of harvesting pigs, I haven't seen our resident pig murderer lately.