THE SPORTING CHEF’S TOP FIVE WILD PIG RECIPES
USA – (Ammoland.Com) – In recognition of #Aporkalypse2014 week on Sportsman Channel, Scott Leysath, The Sporting Chef, provides his top five wild pig recipes. Learn more about #Aporkalypse2014 show times and schedules at http://thesportsmanchannel.com
1. Simple Smoked Shoulder
My favorite way to cook wild pig or boar is by slow roasting or slow smoking the shoulders, allowing the heat do all the work. It beats the tedious task of boning, trimming and chopping into usable chunks of meat. If you don’t have access to a smoker, use any grill with meat as far away from the heat source as possible. Drop a few wood chunks onto the coals or in a pan above the heat source before adding the pig. Larger bone-in cuts will require more time to reach the tender stage. If, after several hours, you check it and it’s still not tender, keep cooking. It’ll get there eventually. As long as I’m smoking one shoulder, I usually smoke several and freeze the pulled meat for another time.
Step 1. The Rub
Remove any excess fat from the shoulder. Season liberally with salt and pepper and, if desired, a little brown sugar for added sweetness or some cayenne pepper for heat. I use 4 parts Hi Mountain Garlic Pepper Rub and 1 part light brown sugar. The exact amount of seasoning isn’t critical. Rub it in, wrap the shoulder in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. If your shoulders are boneless, make sure to season all the cracks and crevices before wrapping with plastic. I usually tie the boneless shoulders with butcher string so that it will cook more evenly.
Step 2. The Cooking Part
Place in a 250 degree smoker for 6 to 8 hours, depending on the size of the shoulder. Cook until the internal temperature is 185 degrees.
STEP 3 – Make it Tender
Remove the meat and place in the center of a large piece of heavy-duty foil (“standard” weight foil will always tear apart). Pour your favorite barbecue sauce over the meat, about a cup or two. Wrap snugly in foil and return the meat to the heat for 2 more hours.
STEP 4 – Shred
Allow to cool and then shred meat with tongs or forks. Pile high in a soft bun and top with coleslaw, at least that’s the Southern way
2. Wild Pig Chile Verde
A great way to cook the stink out of an old boar hog, but even better with a younger animal. The idea is to render as much of the fat out of the meat before adding the flavor.
8 – 10 servings
3 pounds boar shoulder, loin or ham, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 quarts chicken broth
2 cups yellow onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 Anaheim peppers, chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1 tablespoons dried oregano flakes
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups fresh tomatillos, skin removed; quartered (or canned / drained)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add boar and brown evenly. Drain off any fat or liquid rendered during browning. Add 2 quarts chicken broth and any additional broth or water to cover meat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 hours or until meat is tender and breaks apart, but doesn’t fall apart, with moderate finger pressure.
2. Drain liquid from stockpot. Add 2 cups chicken stock and all remaining ingredients except cilantro. Simmer until peppers are tender. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To read the rest of Scott’s recipes, go to Sportsman Channel’s blog here: http://www.thesportsmanchannel.com/2014/08/sporting-chefs-top-five-wild-pig-recipes/
The Sporting Chef, hosted by Scott Leysath, leans on Leysath’s 25-year career as a fish and game chef, along with some of the outdoor industry’s most-talented and innovative experts on the topics of fish and game preparation, outdoor cooking, camping, harvested game handling and storage. The show offers outdoor programming in a fast-paced magazine format covering a variety of topics from stuffing quail with rabbit-rattlesnake sausage to local game feeds to finding out whether farmed salmon is a good thing for our bodies or the environment.
Learn more about Sporting Chef at http://TheSportingChef.com and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/TheSportingChef
Media Contact:
Michelle Scheuermann, BulletProof Communications, LLC; 651.964.0264; michelle@bulletproofcomm.com