Wild Boar Bacon

[Buckeye]

Looking for suggestions . . .

Just ordered 20 lbs of wild boar bellies.  I have made regular belly bacon many times using MTQ and maple syrup with very good results.

Has anyone attempted wild boar bellies?  Should I do anything different during the cure or smoke?

Don't have the bellies yet, but I do know that they tend to be leaner than a regular pork belly.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks All!

[Habanero Smoker]

I've never cured wild boar bellies, but I can't see any reason why you can't use the recipe as posted. Because they are wild, I would definitely hot smoke, to kill any Trichinosis parasites that could be present. Or freeze the pork for a period. I don't have the chart in front of me, but I believe 5 days at 0°F is enough. But you should look that up. That will kill any parasites, and you can cold smoke it.

[Buckeye]

The bellies are "wild boar" but they are farm raised and purchased from a restaurant food supplier.  I am hoping that this would make them relatively safe in the trichinosis department, similar to regular hogs.

I am actually more concerned with cure time.  I normally cure for about 8-10 days in the fridge.  After 8 days I start checking them for firmness.  I am wondering if the difference in fat content will make a big difference in the amount of time the cure takes to permeate the belly.  Is the cure time sensitive to meat vs fat ratio or is it just an overall thickness thing?  I guess, in the end, I'll probably just go by feel.

[Tenpoint5]

I would suggest using what you already use. And go by feel.