Thread: Cooking wild Pork

Can anyone give me a bit of advice on cooking wild pork. I cook and eat a lot venison but my experience with port so far has not been great, the last time I cooked some pork back steaks they were dry and horrible. The first big question with pork is, is it ok to cook it more medium rare? this would normally be a no no with domestic pork but what about wild pork?
I cut some pork chops out of the last pig I shot, Can I fire these on the barbecue and just grill them?
Any advice would be appreciated.

We've always treated wild pork like domestic pork and it's gone well. Maybe we just got lucky?!

I just finished pulled pork slow cooked in crock pot for hours with a bit of spice and homemade bbq

well cant help a lot here I have hunted and eaten wild pork for 50 years plus love it - rate it as our best wild meat- but have always slow roasted - slow casseroled - or my favorite slow boiled as wild pork (cut into pieces ) water cress and doughboys - slow cooked - I have really never ever in all that time tried quick cooking wild pork - except for real young stuff and then as chops - and they were okay - all I can add really- never tried it as quick fried back steak kind of meat - roast yup fresh but slowly - give it a go - your meat finger should tell you - if you poke your finger into a piece of pork back steak how is it - a good cook should be able to handle a piece of meat and tell how its going to cook by the feel of it - really if it feels tender cook it fast - if it feels tough slow cook it

Low and slow bro! Hang it 10 days at 4deg C . Makes a major difference.

Thanks for the feedback guys, Yep I think the mistake I made with the backsteaks was trying to cook them like venison. For the upcoming chops I will also cooks slow, not on the barbecue and see how that goes.

Last pigs I shot had a minor... fishy? Flavour too it, the missus wouldn't eat it at all. I ended up making pork/fennel sausages and they went real well with the added flavours from that.

Cheers

Originally Posted by zeropak

Can anyone give me a bit of advice on cooking wild pork. I cook and eat a lot venison but my experience with port so far has not been great, the last time I cooked some pork back steaks they were dry and horrible. The first big question with pork is, is it ok to cook it more medium rare? this would normally be a no no with domestic pork but what about wild pork?
I cut some pork chops out of the last pig I shot, Can I fire these on the barbecue and just grill them?
Any advice would be appreciated.

I think the problem is your venison is primo and wild pork is rubbish in comparison
but yea more stewing/slow cooking roasting with a lid and keeping a bone in there for the connective tissue and ligaments to melt
it makes a big difference with what the pigs are eating. IE grass is great and heavy bush with bracken fern can be either good or rubbish

Originally Posted by Bill999

I think the problem is your venison is primo and wild pork is rubbish in comparison
but yea more stewing/slow cooking roasting with a lid and keeping a bone in there for the connective tissue and ligaments to melt
it makes a big difference with what the pigs are eating. IE grass is great and heavy bush with bracken fern can be either good or rubbish

He was a pretty decent size Boar but in great nick, He had lots of fat in the gut cavity and around an inch of fat across his back and hind quarters.
I'm not great at guessing weights on Pigs, I don't shoot enough of them but 2 of us were struggling to drag the bugger across to the side x side.

Pork (feral pork) even though the animal might carry a LOT of fat is a very 'lean, fit' meat and not similar to the domestic pork animals which aren't running all day every day. Another possible issue is the retention of lactic acid and adrenaline in the meat from a stressed death - this results in cuts of meat that pull up tight if you try to fry them over high heat. As noted up further, low and slow. Steaming/slow cooking is also a very acceptable means of cooking (think hangi style).

Originally Posted by zeropak

Thanks for the feedback guys, Yep I think the mistake I made with the backsteaks was trying to cook them like venison. For the upcoming chops I will also cooks slow, not on the barbecue and see how that goes.

Uncle George chops.........origonally for mutton but works well with pork too


get out your electric frypan...add tiny bit of oil or fat..tiny..but if its already dirty all the better. turn it on high,add your chopa while the jug is boiling..... lightly brown chops both sides,then completely cover with BOILING WATER...must be boiling or can stuff your cookware. keep adding water till chops are covered or frypan cant hold anymore...stick lid on it and turn on extractor fan and /or dehymidifyer.... leave it alone for 30-40 minutes.....then remove lid and let it continue cooking..after approx 1hr the pan will start to sizzle...dont be impatient,I know the spuds are already cooked and the kids are getting impatient TRUST ME DO NOT RUSH THE NEXT BIT.... when pan is starting to sizzle it means the water is nearly gone..give chops a stir around and flip over...this sizzling at end gives them the nice caramelization....dark yummy coating.... you will know when water is gone competely as fat/oil in bottom of pan will go clear instead of cloudy.......when have nice bit of colour to chops..serve them up and dont forget to put 3-4 paper towels beside each persons plate so can pick up chops and get stuck in then whipe up messy fingers and moush afterwards.
seasoning when start to cook doesnt need to be over done...light sprinkling of whatever you normally put on steak is good.

roast pork...... really good done in crockpot/slow cooker but make sure to have apple sauce as a condiment...lots of it.a tin of pureed aplle baby food will do in a pinch.
it can be dry if cooked too long..it can be dry fullstop,thus the apple sauce. the juiciest bits are directly under the skin..thats why us hori fellas singe pigs instead of skinning them!!! that and it gets rid of the pig lice before you carry them homewards....

back steaks work but are never tender like good venison.... season with your steak seasoning and dont cook too long,as soon as the juices run clear instead of bloody its done...just like chicken.

older pigs..mince the buggers...pork mince is primo tucker


and if after all that your family still says "nope dont want to eat it" shut the biscuit cupboard and remove all the chippies etc from house till they are hungry. a fattish boar under 80lb or a sow under 100lb rate as some of the very best tucker

yes if there were two targets together a fat 80lb sow and a fat fallow doe the pig would be first with me very day of the week

Just get a smoker m8
Low and slow. Never look back, I can give u a brine recipe. Electric smoker is the easiest thing ever, easy to build as well, start, walk away , ckmr bac 2 hr later, cover in foil for another hr.(105-110 deg c) See your best friends attacking each other for 2nds.