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Pulled Pork with Boar Shoulder (off taste?)

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    Pulled Pork with Boar Shoulder (off taste?)

    I’m from the Carolinas and attempted to turn a shoulder of a boar I recently shot to pulled pork.

    It came out with great smoke and wasn’t dry at all. Every so often a piece had and irony, almost livery taste. Normal? The ladies and kids didn’t like it.

    Anyone else have issues with an off taste?

    I ice washed the meat for two days and believe I got all the glands cut out. I’ve never smoked a hog but sows always come out fine in the crock pot.

    Boar smelled sweet when I shot him thus I kept the meat. When they smell nasty, I won’t bother.

    Thoughts? Should I brine it first?
    Last edited by Sethmac; 05-16-2020, 03:15 PM.

    #2
    I have smoked a couple dozen hams off wild hogs (boars and sows) in the past couple years. I haven't been picky about the hog itself (size, etc.) However, I've been taking so many hogs, I only take the backstraps and hams and leave the rest for coyotes. So I haven't been smoking shoulders.

    I general smoke them for 7-10 hours depending on size at around 200-220 using an old fashioned wood smoker. I then double wrapped in very heavy foil and with a 6oz can of pineapple juice to help it steam and tenderize. I then put it in the oven overnight at about 180. I let it cool a little and then pull the meat. My daughter who doesn't otherwise like wild meat, loves it.

    I haven't been disappointed with this method. I've smoked several for church events with never a scrap left and lots of compliments. (I even experimented once by smoking a store bought pork shoulder and a wild one, put the meat in different pans, and set them out. People didn't know one was wild unless I told them and both pans were empty at the end of the evening. I just didn't have to tenderize the store bought one nearly as long.)

    I haven't brined one yet, but I have considered to get more moisture inside. Let me know if how it works out if you try it.

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      #3
      The off taste with mature boars is referred to as boat taint and is associated with male hormone levels in the meat. About 75% of the population is sensitive to that taste. Removing “glands” or various processing tactics will not prevent that taste/smell in pork. Some folks try to mask the off flavor with enough seasoning, but that doesn’t always work. It’s best to butcher the sows or very young if possible.

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        #4
        That's funny (and sounds like a reasonable explanation)...my dad says he can't taste anything different...I reckon next time I will smoke a sow and the other boar shoulder and see if I can taste a difference.

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          #5
          There is another situation that affects the taste of pork and it is not limited to boars. When pigs are highly stressed at time of death, this can affect the flavor and at least in domestic pork it can affect the firmness of the meat. This occurs in both sexes and even in young animals. Therefore, if taking feral hogs for the table it is best to avoid those chased with dogs are held for a while in traps. It’s best to make good clean quick kills when they are not stressed.

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            #6
            I have never had an issue with boar meat that was properly handled. I usually do a "brining" of sorts with all mine when they are in the cooler though. I mix 5 gallons water with a bag of sugar and a cup of salt, and let it bring in that for a few days.
            Sounds like a pain in the butt, but it has always worked. Grandson doesn't like game, and I have fed him boar several times, and he always thought it was store bought meat.

            Comment


              #7
              We head shot 2 boars this year over 200 lbs and have been delicious we smoked a shoulder, made breakfast sausage, chorizo. I firmly believe that the adrenaline and stress in shooting wild game is a lot of that taste head shots for me!!!!


              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

              Comment


                #8
                I take a piece of meat, put it in a crock pot, pour an entire bottle of bbq sauce in w the meat. Add ragin blaze and some lemmon pepper seasoning. Crock pot for 5 hours on low.
                Shred the meat w a fork on a cutting board. Take another bottle of bbq sauce and pour over the shredded meat. Then toss and mix the bbq sauce and meat together. Make tacos. Pulled pork tacos.

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                  #9
                  Trying to post a pic
                  Attached Files

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                    #10
                    How much fat was on the shoulder? I was taught to remove all fat from wild game, because it retains a lot of the gamey taste. Not sure how much truth there is to that, but I've always done it and have never had anyone say it tastes gamey. We've cooked several boars over 150#, although usually we use those for sausage. I've never been able to tell the difference between a boar and a sow, after they're processed.

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                      #11
                      This boar was headshot and did t know what hit him. It was handled properly.

                      I did leave some fat on as I was planning to smoke.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Djhester View Post
                        I have smoked a couple dozen hams off wild hogs (boars and sows) in the past couple years. I haven't been picky about the hog itself (size, etc.) However, I've been taking so many hogs, I only take the backstraps and hams and leave the rest for coyotes. So I haven't been smoking shoulders.

                        I general smoke them for 7-10 hours depending on size at around 200-220 using an old fashioned wood smoker. I then double wrapped in very heavy foil and with a 6oz can of pineapple juice to help it steam and tenderize. I then put it in the oven overnight at about 180. I let it cool a little and then pull the meat. My daughter who doesn't otherwise like wild meat, loves it.

                        I haven't been disappointed with this method. I've smoked several for church events with never a scrap left and lots of compliments. (I even experimented once by smoking a store bought pork shoulder and a wild one, put the meat in different pans, and set them out. People didn't know one was wild unless I told them and both pans were empty at the end of the evening. I just didn't have to tenderize the store bought one nearly as long.)

                        I haven't brined one yet, but I have considered to get more moisture inside. Let me know if how it works out if you try it.
                        I'm gonna try this. If you smell smoke coming from the south it'll be me!

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Muskles View Post
                          How much fat was on the shoulder? I was taught to remove all fat from wild game, because it retains a lot of the gamey taste. Not sure how much truth there is to that, but I've always done it and have never had anyone say it tastes gamey. We've cooked several boars over 150#, although usually we use those for sausage. I've never been able to tell the difference between a boar and a sow, after they're processed.
                          I think a lot of fat flavor would be reflective of their recent diet. High dollar pig meat from europe used for fancy charcuterie is fed out on acorns and cereals before slaughter. I'd assume if your boar had been eating a bunch of garbage, it would taste bad as well.

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                            #14
                            I tend to agree with Shovelhands. It probably been on a bad diet.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              The game taste of nasty pig is a lot different than the way you described the taste (to me). Sounds like either a bad diet, or hed been fighting before and had a lot of scar tissue, hence that irony taste.

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